- Dominica Revokes 68 CBI Passports, Expert Warns of Consequences for “Duped” Investors
Dominica has issued a Citizenship Deprivation Order, canceling the citizenships of 68 individuals who obtained their status through the country’s Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP). The order, signed by Minister for Citizenship Miriam Blanchard and gazetted on June 6th, 2024, states that the scheduled persons obtained registration or certificate of naturalization through fraud, false representation, or concealment of a material fact.
Over half (53%) of those affected are of Iraqi origin, followed by Pakistanis (21%), Egyptians and Iranians (6% each), Nigerians and Syrians (4% each), Afghans (3%), and one Sudanese and one Jordanian national (1% each). The individuals named in the order obtained citizenship between November 2019 and May 2022.
The move comes months after Dominica’s Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, warned attendees of a Caribbean Investment Summit that his government had put in place legislation that would see anyone found to have obtained citizenship by investment in that country for anything less than the officially permitted minimum have their citizenships revoked. Dominica cites fraudulent activity as the reason behind its decision, which could include lying or concealing visa rejections to countries Dominica has visa-free waivers with or other misrepresentations.
As part of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), Dominica and the other signatories agreed to a minimum investment of US$200,000 and committed to sharing information on applicants through a digital portal hosted by the Joint Regional Communications Centre (JRCC) in Barbados. The countries pledged to improve post-approval screening of CBI citizens and cooperate on retrieving canceled passports.
