ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — The Antigua and Barbuda Government says it is “actively” considering preventing nationals from Syria obtaining citizenship under the island’s Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP), as it denounced the recent terrorist attacks in Paris that left more than 129 people dead.

“I would admit that there is a growing concern in terms of the level of terrorism there, and we want to make sure, too, that we have very secure borders and clearly it is not only about securing our national security interest but those of our neighbours, so consideration is being given to exclude Syrian citizens from the programme,” Prime Minister Gaston Browne has said.

Browne said the issue was first considered during the last review in December 2014 when the Government took the decision that it would instruct the CIP unit to deny citizens from Afghanistan, Iraq, North Korea, Somalia, Yemen and Iran to acquire local citizenship.

“It is important for the nation to note we have not processed a single application from the countries so listed, and that the list that was presented in June of his year would have been applications that were processed prior.

“So any notion that we are processing applications from residents from North Korea, Somalia, Afghanistan, and even Iraq and Iran without them… being permanent residents of the United Kingdom, United States and Canada, that is not so; that’s a policy my Government introduced”.

Browne, speaking on Observer Radio here, said

that Antigua and Barbuda has the “best regulated CIP programme” in the Caribbean and we have to keep it

that way.

“It is part of our national security strategy and we will continue to monitor global affairs, [and] where countries are sponsor of state terrorism… then clearly we will review the list.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Browne has sent a letter to French President Francois Holland, describing Friday night’s terrorists attacks in Paris as a “despicable act of terrorism”.

“The people and Government of Antigua & Barbuda also deplore this vile act of terrorism and condemn ISIS strongly and unequivocally,” Browne said, adding “terrorism is a scourge upon our common humanity”.