The United Progressive Party (UPP) is in favour of the recent proposals made by the European Union (EU), aimed at reforming the Citizenship by Investment programmes (CIPs) operated by Antigua and Barbuda and other territories.
UPP spokesman Damani Tabor indicated the party’s support for the EU proposals including that of returning the CIP minimum threshold to US$200,00, along with the mandatory submission of the names of those seeking citizenship to law enforcement agencies.
He mentioned additional recommendations that the party believes will be beneficial to the integrity of the programme.
“We would even go further to reiterate some of the UPP recommendations like restoring the board, lengthening the required time they have to be on island and so on, because the more of these criteria put in place, is the higher the quality of the individuals that will apply,” he stated.
Tabor reiterated that an investigation into Antigua Airways is necessary to give additional assurance to the international community.
“…They must also implement and summon a full public commission of inquiry into Antigua Airways, which will also show to the global community that we are serious about policing our border, our integrity, our immigration security etc,” he said.
Last week, the government revealed that the EU proposed that the CIP countries should return the minimum threshold to US$200,000, a figure which is double that of Antigua and Barbuda’s CIP requirement.
It also proposed that the states change the minimum in real estate investment to US$400,000 – a figure already in place in Antigua and Barbuda – and that they require submission of the names of those seeking citizenship to their police agencies.
In July, the UK revoked Dominica’s visa-free access as the result of their Citizenship By Investment programme (CBI). This prompted countries with similar programmes— including Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Kitts & Nevis and St Lucia—to be alert.
The EU has been one of the most critical of the CIPs, going as far as calling for their abolition, citing the security risks posed to their border security.
However, the CIP-operating countries continue to make the case that the programmes are critical to their economies, and are on record about the potential fallout.
