Category: News

Source: globenewswire.com

Published: 24 May 2023

EB5 Capital is delighted to announce the election of Lulu Gordon to the Board of Directors of Invest in the USA (IIUSA). Ms. Gordon will serve in this position for a three-year term.

IIUSA is the industry trade association for the EB-5 Regional Center Program, a US government program that encourages new investment in job-creating projects. Foreign investors can qualify for the EB-5 program by making eligible investments in EB-5 projects sponsored by Regional Centers, provided the project creates a minimum of ten new US jobs per investor.

“I feel very honored to take on this role at such a transformative time for the EB-5 industry,” said Ms. Gordon. “We are starting a new chapter with the passing of the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, and our program is finally back in business after some significant disruptions over the last few years.”

Ms. Gordon brings over 25 years of experience in law and finance and has been with EB5 Capital since 2015. She participates in IIUSA’s Leadership Circle and serves as Co-chair of IIUSA’s Public Policy Committee. As part of Ms. Gordon’s Leadership Circle activities, she participates on a quarterly basis in meetings with members of the President’s administration, Congressional members, and their staff, to educate them about the economic benefits of the EB-5 program and to discuss ongoing issues with the program. In addition to IIUSA, Ms. Gordon is a member of the EB-5 Securities Roundtable, an independent group of securities attorneys in the EB-5 space.

About EB5 Capital

EB5 Capital provides qualified foreign investors with opportunities to invest in job-creating commercial real estate projects under the United States Immigrant Investor Program (EB-5 Visa Program). As one of the oldest and most active Regional Center operators in the country, the firm has raised approximately $1 billion dollars of foreign capital across more than 30 EB-5 projects. Headquartered in Washington, DC, EB5 Capital’s distinguished track record and leadership in the industry has attracted investors from over 70 countries. In addition to US permanent residency, EB5 Capital offers real estate private equity investments and non-US Citizenship by Investment Programs. Please visit www.eb5capital.com for more information.

Source: home.treasury.gov

Published: 21 May 2023

WASHINGTON – Today, the United States, in coordination with the G7 and other international partners, is strengthening the unprecedented global sanctions and other restrictive economic measures to further degrade the Russian Federation’s capacity to wage war against Ukraine. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is implementing new commitments made at the G7 Leaders’ Summit to hold Russia accountable for its war. 

“From the beginning of President Putin’s illegal and unprovoked war, our global coalition has focused on supporting Ukraine while degrading Russia’s ability to conduct its invasion,” said Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen. “Our collective efforts have cut Russia off from key inputs it needs to equip its military and is drastically limiting the revenue the Kremlin receives to fund its war machine. Today’s actions will further tighten the vise on Putin’s ability to wage his barbaric invasion and will advance our global efforts to cut off Russian attempts to evade sanctions.”

OFAC’s sanctions on 22 individuals and 104 entities, with touchpoints in more than 20 countries or jurisdictions, target those attempting to circumvent or evade sanctions and other economic measures against Russia, the channels Russia uses to acquire critical technology, its future energy extraction capabilities, and Russia’s financial services sector. Additionally, OFAC is expanding sanctions authorities to target new sectors of Russia’s economy and sever Russia’s access to new categories of services. The U.S. Department of State also designated or identified as blocked property almost 200 individuals, entities, vessels, and aircraft. The U.S. Department of Commerce is significantly expanding the territorial reach and categories covered by its export controls and adding 71 entities to its Entity List to prevent Russia from accessing goods it needs for the battlefield.

Also today, Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a joint supplemental alert urging continued vigilance for potential Russian export control evasion. This supplemental alert builds on FinCEN and BIS’s first joint alert, issued in June 2022, and provides financial institutions additional information with respect to new BIS export control restrictions relating to Russia. The alert also reinforces ongoing U.S. government engagements and initiatives designed to further constrain and prevent Russia from accessing needed technology and goods to supply and replenish its military and defense industrial base. It details evasion typologies and identifies additional transactional and behavioral red flags to assist financial institutions…READ MORE IN BELOW LINK…

Link: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1494

Source: c40.org

Published: 28 April 2023

Today, at the Cities Summit of the Americas in Denver, leading mayors from across the western hemisphere met with international organisations and senior U.S. government officials to discuss the impact of the climate crisis on urban migration and the need for more investment in city-led solutions.

The closed-door roundtable, convened by the U.S. State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) and The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with C40 Cities, the Mayors Migration Council and the Climate Migration Council, brought together Mayor Jaime Pumarejo of Barranquilla, Colombia; Mayor Maribel Escobar of La Palma, El Salvador; Mayor Joel Martinez of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; Mayor Bob Gallagher of Bettendorf, U.S.; Commissioner Brigid Shea of Travis County, U.S.; and senior representatives from CAF-Development Bank of Latin America, the U.N. Migration Agency (IOM) and the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

The discussion, opened by Uzra Zeya, Under Secretary of the U.S. State Department for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, focused on city-led solutions to climate migration, including investments to better adapt in place and reduce displacement, approaches to facilitate the dignified movement of those who live in risk-prone areas, and solutions to foster the social and economic inclusion of newcomers, including through the creation of good, green jobs.

Participants also discussed concrete ways national governments and donors can support and partner with cities, including opportunities to strengthen city-national diplomacy ties and collaboration between the C40-MMC Global Mayors Action Agenda on Climate and Migration, the Climate Migration Council’s Declaration, and the Biden administration’s policies, including the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE), and USAID’s Climate Strategy.

Following C40-MMC mayors’ calls to invest in urban resilience and inclusion, Mileydi Guilarte, USAID’s Deputy Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean, announced a new $1 million investment across the Latin America and Caribbean region to help build cities’ resilience to the impacts of climate change, with a focus on addressing the unique needs of migrant communities. Working with organisations like the Mayors Migration Council, this investment will support vulnerable migrants through the development of city-level plans that foster local integration, reduce disaster risk and strengthen climate resilience in cities.

This investment is an important step to fulfill the recommendations put forward in  U.S. President Joe Biden’s Report on the Impact of Climate Change on Migration two years ago. Responding to a call from C40-MMC mayors from across the United States, the report marked the first time the U.S. government officially recognised the impact of climate breakdown on migration and committed to “scaling up support to urban areas to help localities plan for, accommodate, and integrate migrants and those displaced” and “build resilient urban systems.”

C40, MMC and the Climate Migration Council welcome the Biden administration’s efforts to deliver against these commitments in the United States and abroad, and stand ready to continue partnering with the U.S. government to inspire other champion countries to work with cities on climate migration. 

Mileydi Guilarte, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, said: “Climate change is one of any number of stressors that has altered everyday life for families throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. As the effects of climate change intensify, livelihoods are being negatively impacted causing some to uproot and seek a better life in another community, city or even country. USAID is working throughout Latin America and the Caribbean to address the economic effects of climate change and how it contributes to migration. We are committed to working with cities throughout the region to provide support as they welcome migrants and create programmes to help them become an integral part of their new communities.”

Jaime Pumarejo, Mayor of Barranquilla, said: “The city of Barranquilla is working to meet this need: welcoming those displaced by climate, improving resilience to urban climate risks, and fostering newcomers’ inclusion in our social and economic fabric. We are willing to work with local, national and international actors to bring these experiences to scale and enhance their replication in other cities, in Colombia and across the Americas.”

Vittoria Zanuso, Executive Director of the Mayors Migration Council, said: “While climate change is a crisis, the human mobility it creates doesn’t need to be. Global mayors are stepping up as problem solvers, but they need better national policies and direct access to funding to deliver at scale. USAID’s investment in Latin American cities is a great step in this direction. The Mayors Migration Council is ready to partner with USAID to make this project a success so we can support more cities in other parts of the world and make this new model business-as-usual.”

Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities, said: “C40 mayors are working to deliver 50 million good, green jobs by 2030 in their cities. As the majority of migrants live in urban areas, investment in green job creation represents an opportunity to support migrants, boost the economy and shift towards a greener future. Good, green jobs provide people with an alternative to forced migration, create livelihoods for people on the move, and foster the economic inclusion of newcomers to destination cities. It’s a win for people and the planet.”

Shana Tabak, Director of Immigration Strategy at Emerson Collective and Advisor to the Climate Migration Council, added: “As the climate crisis accelerates displacement of people from their communities across the globe, it’s imperative that the international community move from commitment to action. At today’s roundtable, leaders from rapidly urbanizing Latin American cities described innovative strategies — and the financial support they require — if they are to successfully adapt as our changing climate pushes more and more people to migrate within and across borders. The Climate Migration Council is committed to generating action that will build resilience in communities of individuals most impacted by climate change, and to mobilizing the global community to ensure that individuals uprooted from their homes have the support they need as they seek safety. We hope that the conversation today inspires more subnational leaders to join the Council and champion its cause.”

Mayor Pumarejo, Vittoria Zanuso and Mark Watts are all members of the Climate Migration Council. Shana Tabak is a special advisor to the Climate Migration Council. 

Source: dw.com

Published: 4 April 2023

European countries are shutting down their visa- or residency-for-investment schemes, worried about corruption and security. Meanwhile, the Middle East is just getting started in the so-called “citizenship industry.”

After the extremist group known as the “Islamic State” took over parts of her own country in 2014, Iraqi journalist Hiba Ahmad started looking for an escape route.

“I just thought I needed a place outside Iraq, to be safe,” she told DW. “So if there is a difficult situation in Iraq, I can leave.”

After investigating online, the Baghdad native decided to buy a small apartment in Turkey and found one she liked for around $40,000 (€36,840), near a small seaside resort about an hour from Istanbul. The “Islamic State” group was defeated in 2017, but she still comes here regularly.

“The reason I come now is because it’s very hot in summer in Baghdad,” Ahmad explained. “It’s calm and peaceful and I stay for two or three months.” 

Although Turkey recently tightened residency rules, Ahmad is able to do this because she bought the Turkish apartment. This allows her to regularly renew a two-year visa. Without the real estate investment, she would only get a tourist visa for a month, she explained. Eventually, if she wanted to, Ahmad could even apply for Turkish citizenship.

Golden immigration opportunities

Ahmad’s Turkish visa is just one of the milder and more affordable examples of what are known as residency by investment (RBI) schemes, often colloquially known as “golden visa” programs. There are also citizenship by investment or “golden passport” schemes but these usually require a lot more money, paperwork and time. 

In the Middle East, the motivations for both versions of these schemes are the same. Countries offering golden visas or golden passports want to encourage investment and top up foreign currency deposits. For the individuals who participate in them, these schemes can provide them with better lifestyle options, a second passport that offers more travel possibilities and the chance to escape political problems, economic turmoil or conflict back home.

Canada, the US, Ireland and other EU states have all had these schemes too. But it’s only been in the past five years or so that the idea has gained popularity in the Middle East.

Early in March, Egypt made it even easier for foreigners to become Egyptian via investment. The country has had a citizenship by investment, or CBI, plan in place since 2020 but, because of its economic struggles and the need for more international investment and foreign currency, the country relaxed the terms this year.

The United Arab Emirates has had a golden visa scheme since 2019 but overhauled it in 2022, making it cheaper and easier to access. 

Since 2018, Jordan has had a CBI scheme and in 2020, Qatar began offering a longer, temporary residency in exchange for real estate ownership. Bahrain has had a “golden visa residency” program since 2022 and introduced a “golden license” for large-scale investments this month. And Saudi Arabia launched a “premium residency” scheme this year.

Europe phasing ‘golden visas’ out

“The trend in the Middle East is the reverse of what we are seeing in Europe,” said Jelena Dzankic, a professor at the European University Institute in Italy and co-director of the Global Citizenship Observatory. Dzankic is referring to the fact that in Europe, the golden passport and residency schemes offered by the likes of Portugal, Greece and Cyprus are now being phased out.

In Europe there’s been “progressive abolition of citizenship and residence by investment, due to scandals linked to the scheme and the risks associated with them,” Dzankic explained.

Critics often describe such schemes as nations selling citizenship to the highest bidder, arguing they open the country up to potential security issues, inflated real estate prices and the risk of corruption and money laundering. After the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the EU urged all member states to scrap such schemes for fear they would help sanctions dodgers.

“So I would assume that as one market — the European one — has become inaccessible, people have started to look into viable alternatives,” Dzankic said. 

Fast track to citizenship

The modern idea of citizenship by investment dates back to the 1980s.

According to the Switzerland-based Investment Migration Council, or IMC, an umbrella organization for companies involved in the sector, the first CBI program was established in Tonga in 1982, the next by St. Kitts and Nevis in 1984. Small island states, struggling in the aftermath of colonialism, were able to raise funds by offering citizenship or residency in exchange for investment.

Today, most countries offer some sort of route for investors to eventually gain citizenship. But it’s important to differentiate between this and the frequently debated RBI or CBI schemes currently offered in one form or another by around 80 countries, according to the IMC.

In return for substantial investment, these offer either citizenship or residency almost immediately, or via a fast track. Required investments range from about $100,000 in the Caribbean to up to $3.25 million (€2.96 million) in Europe. Some of the schemes require investors to be in the country for a certain amount of days or to set up businesses, while others don’t even need them to visit.

As Dzankic, who has been studying this sector for over a decade, told DW, “a citizenship industry” has grown up around this and often companies involved will also lobby national authorities to introduce more benefits.

Sector observers have said it’s not just Middle Eastern governments that are paying more attention to RBI and CBI schemes. Locals in those countries, especially wealthier individuals in countries experiencing conflict or economic turmoil, such as Lebanon, Iraq, Libya and Syria, are also taking advantage of such schemes abroad.

Who applies for ‘golden visas’?

It is hard to find exact numbers on who is applying for golden passports or visas, or how many there are. State schemes tend to be opaque or slow to publish statistics.

“While there is no definitive data on the exact nationalities of Middle Eastern investors participating in these programs, there are a few patterns,” David Regueiro, a regional representative for the Investment Migration Council, told DW.

For one thing, Middle Eastern investors “are some of the most active consumers of these programs in the world,” he said, with some countries getting over three-quarters of all their applicants for CBI schemes from the region.

“In terms of specific nationalities, investors from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria and Iran are among the most active,” Regueiro added.

Most of the immigrant investors are wealthy with a net worth of somewhere between $2 million to $10 million. But around a quarter of them have less than that, the immigration consultant noted. “So while it’s true that wealthy individuals have been among the most active investors, middle-income earners are also showing more interest,” said Regueiro.

It’s also possible that the less expensive and more accessible such schemes get — such as Egypt’s CBI program or Turkey’s real estate-for-residency plan — and the more difficult circumstances become at home because of things like an economic downturn or climate change, the more that non-millionaires will also consider this kind of move. 

“You have a lot of people who can’t afford traditional CBI programs,” said Jeremy Savory, head of the Dubai-based immigration consultancy Savory & Partners. “Maybe there’s a gap in the market for some that start at $50,000, with relevant benefits,” he speculated.

Uncertain future

Whether the programs in the Middle East are more successful than those that came before them remains to be seen, the experts said.

Regueiro believes more new programs will continue to emerge in the Middle East. But, he suggested, “another trend we may see is an increase in the level of scrutiny applied to these programs.”

“The very simple answer is compliance and trust in the process,” Savory argued, arguing that some schemes, such as those in the Caribbean, had been running for decades because they were considered more trustworthy.

“The Middle East is still a young market in this context so what happens with these programs depends on a number of issues,” said Dzankic. That includes how demand develops and how what she calls the “citizenship industry” reacts. While EU countries have been regulated by member states, no such supervision exists in the Middle East.

“So pressures related to democracy and good governance might be less,” she said. “Over time, other concerns may arise out of these programs.”

For example, late last year the EU stopped allowing citizens of Vanuatu visa-free entry into Europe because of concerns about the Pacific country’s loosely regulated CBI scheme. “Then it depends on how states deal with them,” said Dzankic.

Source: timesofmalta.com

Published: 24 March 2023

José Herrera has been appointed chairman of Community Malta Agency, the state-run entity that handles matters related to Maltese citizenship.

Herrera’s appointment, which Times of Malta had revealed back in December was close to being announced, was formally confirmed in Friday’s government gazette. 

The lawyer and former politician will serve in a non-executive role at the agency, which until now did not have a chairman. 

He will serve as chairman until October 2025. No details about his financial package were available. 

Herrera served as an MP for 26 years before he quit politics last year after failing to get re-elected in the general election.

During his time in politics, he served as parliamentary secretary for Economic Growth and Competitiveness, Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, and Minister for Culture and Local Government.  

A lawyer by profession, he subsequently returned to his legal practice, Jose’ A. Herrera and Associates Advocates, which focuses on civil and criminal litigation. 

The Community Malta Agency is responsible for running the country’s golden passports scheme as well as all other citizenship programmes. They include applications for the acquisition of Maltese citizenship by birth, by registration, by naturalisation through long-term residence, for exceptional services by merit, and for exceptional services by direct investment in Malta.

While the country’s golden passport scheme generated significant income for the country in previous years, it has also brought the government into conflict with the European Commission, which wants the scheme banned. 

With Cyprus having cancelled its golden passport scheme following a corruption scandal and Portugal also phasing out its equivalent earlier this year, Malta remains the only EU member state to allow wealthy investors to effectively buy EU citizenship.

However, interest in the programme has waned in recent years, as has income derived from it, and the government has been quietly exploring ways of gradually winding it down. 

Source: middleeastmonitor.com

Published: 19 March 2023

Saudi Arabia has announced it will grant citizenship to certain to selected foreign nationals, following the passing of a law, allowing Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to do so, upon the proposal from the Minister of Interior earlier this year.

The decision was made public on the official Twitter account of the Makkah Al-Mukarramah, quoting the Ministry of Interior. The amendment was published in the official gazette Um Al Qura on Friday. In January, a royal decree was issued to approve the amendment of Article Eight of the Saudi Nationality Law, becoming law on 13 March.

According to the amendment, a person born to a Saudi mother and a foreign father may apply for citizenship upon meeting the following criteria: they must be over the age of 18, must be fluent in Arabic language, must have “good conduct and behaviour”, and should not have been imprisoned for a period of more than six months.

However, some activists have already expressed concerns over the changes to the law, arguing that it will make it even more difficult for Saudi women to attain naturalisation for their children with more legal hurdles. Currently, children whose father is a Saudi national are automatically granted citizenship, which is the case for most states in the region.

In November 2021, the kingdom passed a royal decree granting citizenship to “experts and exceptional global talents,” becoming the second Gulf state after the UAE to introduce a formal naturalisation programme for foreigners with specialised skills.

Published: 16 March 2023

Chairman of the Grenada Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Committee, Richard W. Duncan, OBE today announced the appointment of Thomas Anthony, Citizenship by Investment Consultant, as Chief Executive Officer of the Grenada CBI Unit effective April 3, 2023.

Thomas Anthony is a former commercial, retail and investment banker with 26 years’ experience working in Banking and Financial Securities sectors in Antigua, Saint Lucia and Miami, USA. Thomas served in various roles to include Financial Advisor, Portfolio Manager, Loans Manager, Debt Recovery Manager, Investment Manager and Wealth Manager.

His experience in the Investment Migration Industry includes:
• Project Development Officer, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Executive Officer (Ag.) of the Antigua Citizenship by Investment Unit from 2013 to 2017.
• Global Head ICV (Immigration, Citizenship and Visa) at Exiger, a global Governance, Risk and Compliance firm from 2017 to 2018.
• Chief Executive Officer of the Grenada Citizenship by Investment Unit from 2018 to 2019. Thomas is a Certified Financial Crime Specialist (CFCS), an Accredited Director (Acc. Dir.), and
a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (ACIB).

As CEO, Thomas Anthony will be accountable for leading and implementing the vision and strategies of the Grenada Citizenship by Investment Programme with due regard for economy, efficiency and effectiveness in compliance with Grenada Citizenship by Investment Act, 2013 as amended and regulations; and in accordance with best practices; and the attainment of all Key Performance Targets.
Karline Purcell, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, has been acting as CEO since 2021 and shall continue as Deputy CEO.

For the full press release, please click here

Published: 6 March 2023

On 25 February 2023 a historic US-Caribbean Roundtable on Citizenship by Investment was held in Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis. The highly productive and mutually beneficial engagement involved delegations of the five Eastern Caribbean states with Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programmes led by their Prime Ministers and a delegation of the Government of the United States led by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US Department of the Treasury. Also in attendance was the Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and the Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.

Both parties engaged in a frank discussion on the threats and challenges faced by these programmes and the important contribution that they have made to national development in these small states.

The US recognised that the CBI Programmes provide a legitimate service and have assisted in the survival of the participating economies by providing revenues, particularly considering the existential threat to our vulnerable small island states – emanating from the climate emergency – and the onslaught of recent adverse external shocks, including the ongoing war in Ukraine. CBI revenues are invaluable for funding major infrastructural and development projects, and for building resilience.

It was accepted that dismantling these Programmes would severely compromise the prosperity and prospects of the countries, triggering a plethora of negative social consequences domestically and potentially leading to an upsurge in criminality, among other pathologies.

Both parties affirmed their commitment to a collective fight to safeguard their respective financial systems against threats posed by illicit actors.

The five Governments collectively committed to six CBI principles proposed by the US, several of which had previously been proactively adopted by the OECS states of their own volition as part of their risk management framework to strengthen and safeguard the integrity of their CBI Programmes.

The six principles agreed to are the following:

1. Collective agreement on treatment of denials: Not to process applications from persons whose applications have been denied in another CBI jurisdiction, by proactively sharing information on denials.
2. Interviews: Conduct interviews with applicants, whether virtual or in-person.
3. Additional checks: Each jurisdiction will run checks on each application with the Financial Intelligence Unit of its respective country.
4. Audits: Audit the Programme annually or every two years in accordance with internationally accepted standards.
5. Retrieval of passports: Request law enforcement assistance to retrieve revoked/recalled passports.
6. Treatment of Russians and Belarusians: Suspend processing applications from Russians and Belarusians. Four jurisdictions have already suspended applications and Grenada which processes applications from Russians and Belarusians with enhanced due diligence, will suspend processing new applications from Russia and Belarus from March 31, 2023.

It was recognized and accepted that the implementation of this measure has and will continue to have significant adverse revenue impact for the CBI states.

Both Parties also agreed to convene a technical discussion within the next four to six months to assess the status of implementation of the agreed six principles. Additionally, at this next engagement, the OECS States requested further discussion on the US Government’s risk management framework for the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program as it relates to the processing of applications from Russians.

Given these agreements, the CBI States requested that the US Government facilitate a similar engagement with the European and United Kingdom Governments based on the six agreed principles. Both Parties reiterated their commitment to ongoing constructive engagement that takes account of the special circumstances of small states and their needs.

Attending this meeting was:

Antigua and Barbuda
Prime Minister Hon. Gaston Browne
Head of CIP Unit, Mrs. Charmaine Donovan

Commonwealth of Dominica

Prime Minister Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit
Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Dr. Irving McIntyre
Financial Secretary, Ms. Denise Edwards
Head of CBI Unit, Ambassador Emmanuel Nanthan

Grenada

Prime Minister Hon. Dickon Mitchell
Chairman, CBI Committee Mr. Richard Duncan (via Zoom)

St Kitts and Nevis

Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew
Head of CBI Unit, Mr. Michael Martin

Saint Lucia

Prime Minister Hon. Philip J. Pierre
Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Hon. Wayne Girard
Permanent Secretary of Finance, Mr. Francis Fontenelle
Chairperson CIP Board, Mr. Lorne Theophilus
CEO CIP Board, Mr. Claude Emmanuel

Eastern Caribbean Central Bank

Governor Timothy Antoine
Dr. Emefa Sewordor

Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

Director General Dr. Didacus Jules

United States

Deputy Assistant Secretary, US Department of Treasury Ms Anna Morris
Director, Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, Ms. Sandra Garcia
Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, Ms. Crina Ebanks
Deputy Director, Office of Global Sanctions and Threat Finance, U.S. Department of State, Ms. Angel Ventling
Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy, Barbados, Mr. David Schnier

To read the full Press Release, please click here

Source: bbc.com

Published: 6 March 2023

Channel migrants will be removed from the UK, banned from future re-entry and unable to apply for British citizenship under new legislation.

The slew of proposed measures will apply to anyone arriving on UK shores in a small boat.

Further details are expected to be announced by the government on Tuesday.

The Refugee Council has criticised the plans and says thousands of people will be left “permanently in limbo” as a result.

PM Rishi Sunak, who has made “stopping the boats” one of his top priorities, told the Mail on Sunday: “Make no mistake, if you come here illegally, you will not be able to stay.”

The new legislation would place a duty on the home secretary to remove anyone arriving on a small boat to Rwanda or a “safe” third country “as soon as reasonably practicable” and ban them from returning permanently.

Currently, asylum seekers coming to the UK have the right to seek protection under the UN’s Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights.

But the Mail on Sunday says a clause in the Illegal Migration Bill is expected to apply a “rights brake” to effectively allow the conventions to be circumvented.

The government has long been trying to tackle the rise in numbers of asylum seekers making the dangerous crossing from France to the UK.

However it is not clear how exactly the government is proposing to limit the rights of asylum seekers.

Nor is the pledge to deport asylum seekers straightforward.

Despite a deal being reached last year, not one migrant has been sent to Rwanda yet and any plans to do so are currently on hold. There is also no returns agreement in place with the EU.

The Rwanda plan has yet to get under way after it was met with fierce opposition from campaigners and legal interventions.

However, in December the High Court ruled the scheme did not breach the UN’s Refugee Convention. That decision is facing further challenges in the courts, with a preliminary hearing expected on Monday at the Court of Appeal.

The Refugee Council has accused ministers of shattering the UK’s long-standing commitment under the UN Convention to give people a fair hearing regardless of how they get to the UK.

The group’s CEO Enver Solomon said the “flawed” legislation would not stop the boats but result in tens of thousands of people locked up in detention at huge cost, permanently in limbo and treated as criminals simply for seeking refuge.

“It’s unworkable, costly and won’t stop the boats,” he said.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who will introduce the new laws, told the Sun on Sunday “the only route to the UK will be a safe and legal route”.

The Home Office says there are a number of “safe and legal” routes to the UK. However, some are only available to people from specific countries such as Afghanistan and Ukraine, or for British National status holders in Hong Kong.

Other asylum routes only accept a limited number of refugees according to precise criteria.

The government’s Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme the new legislation would only form one part of the UK’s response, adding: “We need a full range of things in our arsenal to try and stop both people trafficking and illegal migration across the Channel.”

Labour’s Wes Streeting said the government’s upcoming measures were “just the latest in a long line for unworkable gimmicks”.

The shadow health secretary said the government should instead ensure there are safe routes into the country for asylum seekers, speed up the processing of asylum claims and crack down on trafficking gangs.

“We’ve put forward our own proposals – taking the hundreds of millions of pounds that would be wasted on the Rwanda scheme, put it into the National Crime Agency so that we can start rounding up and arresting the criminal gangs that are trafficking people,” he told BBC One’s Breakfast.

Ms Streeting said he did not think the proposed measures would “see the light of day” or get through Parliament.

Lord Blunkett, Labour’s home secretary from 2001-4, said any new migration policy needed France’s backing – and that the government knew it would not get it.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House show, he said: “They know they can’t do it before the election even if it would work, and it won’t.

“They’re doing it in order to put the Labour party on the spot, provide a message after 13 years that they’re going to get a grip of a problem of their own making.”

The Lib Dems called the plans “immoral, ineffective and incredibly costly for taxpayers while doing nothing to stop small boat crossings”.

Freedom from Torture, a charity which provides therapy to asylum seekers, called them “vindictive and dysfunctional”.

The government has previously said the Rwanda plan would discourage others from crossing the English Channel but so far there is no evidence that has happened.

In 2022, 45,756 migrants crossed the English Channel to Britainin small boats, according to government figures collated by the BBC.

That is the highest number since the first records in 2018.

Latest Home Office figures show 2,953 migrants have crossed the Channel using this method already this year, originating from a range of countries including Albania, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Published: 17 February 2023

Tom Tugendhat orders review of investment visas that can give criminals and corrupt oligarchs a backdoor route into Britain

Cash for visa schemes that provide crime bosses and corrupt oligarchs with a backdoor route into Britain face being shut down in a crackdown by security minister Tom Tugendhat.

He has ordered a review of golden visa schemes where wealthy individuals can buy citizenship in dozens of countries in the Caribbean, Pacific and central America by investing as little as £60,000, The Telegraph can reveal.

Suspected criminals or sanction-busting Russians can then exploit the countries’ visa-waiver agreements with the UK which allow entry to Britain for up to six months ostensibly for tourism, business, study or medical treatment.

The review follows an investigation into the UK’s golden visa schemes that found a “small minority” of wealthy foreign investors had been identified as high risk due to alleged links to corruption or serious organised crime.

The tier 1 investor visa, which has since been closed, gave fast-track settlement to rich foreigners who were willing to bring millions of pounds to Britain.

Speaking at a Global Financial Integrity Conference in the US, Mr Tugendhat said Britain was not prepared to tolerate visa waiver agreements with “backdoor” economies.

“Citizenship by investment became popular over the last 20 or 30 years, and many different jurisdictions have introduced them in various different ways,” Mr Tugendhat said.

“We found that it was so open to abuse that we had to stop it. So we’ve closed down tier one visas. And we’re going through the process of making sure that none of those loopholes are left within our existing visa routine.

“Sadly, that means that we’ve got to look at some other jurisdictions because there are some places that have visa waivers with the UK who are effectively offering this loophole. We simply cannot have visa waivers with backdoor economies, it just doesn’t work.

“Whenever I fly, you’ll see in in-flight magazines, various different legal entities offering various different citizenship by investment offers. The island of Dominica was one of the ones that appeared in the in-flight magazine and all I can say is that the visa regime is being looked at.”

Dominica’s “citizenship by investment” scheme boasts that payment of $100,000 (£83,000) into a state fund, or $200,000 for a real estate purchase provides a person with a Dominica passport. This unlocks visa-free travel to 111 countries including the UK and travel to a further 31 countries which grant a visa upon arrival.

Dominica remains the fastest route to gaining Caribbean citizenship at just 76 days while citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda can be bought for $100,000 investment in 107 days, in St Lucia also for $100,000 in 137 days and in St Kitts and Nevis for $125,000 also in 137 days.

Paraguay, a one-time bolthole for Nazis fleeing Europe after the second world war, has one of the lowest investment demands for golden visas at $70,000. Applications can be approved within 45 days although citizenship requires three years permanent residency.

The number of countries promoting such schemes has exploded and extended to the Pacific where citizenship of the island of Vanuatu requires $130,000 investment for a single applicant or $150,000 for a family.

La Vida, a company specialising in facilitating golden visas, boasts that Vanuatu “being a Commonwealth nation country, its passport is valuable offering visa free access to over 129 countries including the UK and the 26 European countries of the EU Schengen zone.”

It is understood measures that could be taken range from ending visa waivers to diplomatic pressure to tighten checks on potential investors.

Evidence of the demand for citizenship was seen earlier this month when Argentina revealed more than 5,000 pregnant Russian women had entered the country in recent months in an attempt to secure Argentinian citizenship for their babies. It included 33 pregnant Russians on one flight.

Florencia Carignano, head of Argentina’s migration agency, said: “The problem is that they come to Argentina, sign up their children as Argentinean and leave. Our passport is very secure across the world. It allows [passport-holders] to enter 171 countries visa-free.”