Five Caribbean nations granted citizenship to 88,000 individuals from countries like Iran, Russia, and China…reports Asian Lite News
The European Union has expressed security concerns regarding the trade of “golden passports” and has committed to strengthening visa controls, The Guardian reported.
This comes after it was revealed that five Caribbean nations have granted citizenship to 88,000 individuals from countries like Iran, Russia, and China.
According to a report published by The Guardian, for the first time, the true scope of the Caribbean passport trade has been unveiled. Several countries offer citizenship to foreign nationals, with prices starting at $100,000 per person.
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The report claimed that Dominica, a small island with a population of just over 70,000, has issued 34,500 passports, which is more than four times the previously disclosed number by Dominica’s government.
Similarly, St Kitts and Nevis, with a population of 48,000, has issued 36,700 passports, double the estimated figure up to 2018.
In total, five Caribbean states, including Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, and Dominica, have collectively issued 88,000 passports.
The commission has put forward a proposal for the revision of regulations, citing worries that “golden passports” may facilitate activities such as “organized crime, money laundering, tax evasion, and corruption,” the Guardian quoted report as saying.
The commission is seeking the authority to temporarily revoke visa exemptions for nations that offer citizenship to individuals lacking a “genuine connection” to the country.
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