Antigua and Barbuda’s Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene has come out swinging against reported U.S. plans to impose visa restrictions on countries offering Citizenship by Investment Programmes (CIPs), declaring, “We will not be bullied. Our foreign policy is one of principle.”
His response follows a Washington Post article published over the weekend that cites a leaked U.S. government memo reportedly naming Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia among 36 countries facing possible visa sanctions. The memo gives these governments 60 days to comply with new U.S. immigration benchmarks or risk being penalized.
Defending Antigua and Barbuda’s CIP, which allows foreign nationals to obtain citizenship in exchange for a minimum investment of US$230,000, Greene said the government will be “fighting like hell” to protect the initiative.
“They want to impose travel restrictions on us—for what reason, God only knows,” he said during a media briefing.
Greene also backed the leadership of the country’s Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU), calling its operations exemplary.
“We know that Charmaine Donovan, CEO of the CIU, and her staff are all people of impeccable character,” Greene said. “This nation’s integrity is not to be questioned where their work is concerned.”
Antigua and Barbuda’s CIP, introduced in 2013, has become a major revenue stream for the government, helping to fund public services and development projects.
According to The Washington Post, the leaked State Department memo highlights U.S. concerns about the sale of citizenship without a residency requirement and alleged “anti-American activity” by some passport holders.
While the memo signals potential penalties, it also opens the door for negotiation. Countries that agree to accept third-country nationals deported from the U.S. or sign “safe third country” agreements could potentially avoid sanctions.
In addition to the Eastern Caribbean states, the list reportedly includes 25 African countries and several nations in Central Asia and the Pacific. The move builds on a June 4 presidential proclamation that imposed full travel bans on citizens from 12 countries.
