Antigua opposition leader strongly advises against offering economic citizenship
Tuesday July 12 2011 | 06:15 AM

Leader of the opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP) Lester Bird is warning government that it should not even consider offering economic citizenship to those who can afford it because, according to him, it would put the country at risk.

The advice to the UPP administration was given in his weekly Sunday address to the nation.

While government has not yet stated its position on the matter, at the end of June it announced that a task force had been set up to study the feasibility of such a programme.

However, Bird said if the programme were to be implemented, irreparable harm could be done “to the value and standing of Antigua & Barbuda citizenship and the Antigua & Barbuda passport.”

Bird believes there is the likelihood larger countries would impose visa requirements on holders of Antigua & Barbuda passports and travel would become more difficult if the idea is implemented.

“It would be a violation of our Constitution for them to either sell our citizenship or our passports, and we will not allow them to put the citizens of our country at risk,” Bird wrote.

Meantime, even as he acknowledged that ALP Chairman Gaston Browne had suggested such a programme, Bird said his comrade’s idea differed from the one government is considering.

However, he did not elaborate on the differences.

In addition to looking into the feasibility of offering economic citizenship, the task force also has a mandate to determine how to safeguard the integrity of the Antigua & Barbuda passport.

The Economic Citizenship Task Force comprises representatives from the Antigua Barbuda Investment Authority, the Attorney General’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Immigration Department, Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy and the tourism sector.

Economic citizenship programmes are already in place in neighbouring St Kitts/Nevis and Dominica, though the criteria vary.

In St Kitts it was established in 1984 and an investor is required to put in at least US $350,000 in a designated real estate project before being considered for citizenship.

In Dominica, there is no requirement for the applicant to make an investment. However, the 10-year-old programme requires the payment of high fees for the citizenship.

Both countries offer full, irrevocable citizenship.