St Kitts-Nevis suspends Syrians from CBI programme
BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC) – The St Kitts-Nevis Government Tuesday announced the “immediate suspension” of processing new applications from citizens and residents of Syria under the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CBI).
A Government statement gave no reason for the suspension but said that the Timothy Harris Government “has pledged to remain vigilant to protect the security and integrity of the world’s oldest and most respected CBI programme.
“As a consequence, certain legislative changes were immediately made to give the Government maximum flexibility in addressing security and related concerns globally.”
The statement said that the Government would “remain vigilant and responsive as it ensures that the security and integrity of its CBI Programme remains the country’s top priority”.
The brief statement quoted Prime Minister Harris as saying that “our international partners can be assured that St Kitts and Nevis will remain eternally vigilant in the global effort to maintain peace and security for all. Our country is and will remain a trusted partner in this effort.
“We assure our international partners that we would always seek to uphold the principles of peaceful and productive coexistence while at the same time maintaining our sovereignty,” he added,
Under the CBI programme, citizenship is given to foreign nationals who invest a significant amount of money in areas designated by the Government to improve the socio-economic well-being of the twin-island Federation.
The CBI programme is used by several Caribbean countries to improve their economic fortunes.