As wealthy Russian, Chinese, US and other citizens look for new domiciles, Caribbean nations are either developing new economic citizenship programmes or are moving to increase awareness of existing schemes. If not well considered, the national, regional and international questions this raises, may come to haunt the region.
Most recently Antigua has begun to take through its Parliament legislation that will give government the ability to grant to various categories of persons the right to Antiguan nationality in return for a substantial investment. Crucially there is no residence requirement. Dominica and St Kitts Nevis are the only other two countries in the world that also offer citizenship without any residency requirement.
Antigua’s bill, which is controversial in the domestic political arena, has possible longer term implications for the overseas travel of its locally-born citizens, and raises questions in relation to the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and Caricom’s free movement of persons provisions,
