EU gives ultimatum to five Caribbean states over 'golden passports'
Brussels gave Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Kitts and Nevis until 1 June 2028 to end citizenship‑for‑investment programmes or face suspension of Schengen visa‑free travel.
The European Union has warned five Caribbean states that their citizenship‑by‑investment schemes must be abolished or they risk losing visa‑free access to the Schengen area.
The measures affect Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Kitts and Nevis. According to letters sent from Brussels in June, the five governments were given until 1 June 2028 to end programs that allow foreigners to acquire nationality in return for investments; failure to comply could lead the EU to suspend their visa‑free travel to Schengen countries.
What Brussels objects to
EU officials have long criticised so‑called citizenship‑by‑investment schemes for the risks they pose to financial integrity and public security. The concerns include money laundering, identity fraud, irregular migration and insufficient vetting of applicants. Under the new approach, the mere existence of such programs — not only flaws in their implementation — can be considered when assessing a country’s visa‑free status.
For the Caribbean states involved, the programs are an important source of revenue. The minimum investment in these schemes is about $200,000, and the passports issued through them typically grant visa‑free or eased entry to more than 140 countries and territories, including much of Europe. Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda has already said his country cannot simply abolish the system without a sustainable alternative for those revenues.
The five governments have announced plans to coordinate their response and to seek talks with EU representatives in Brussels. Analysts say negotiations are a likely next step and that the systems may be modified rather than entirely dismantled, but the EU’s firmer stance raises the political and economic stakes for the island states.
As investors seek ways to retain mobility, some have reportedly looked to acquiring ‘golden visas’ in EU member states such as Greece as an alternative route into Europe.
Photo: press material from the event
