Passport Revocation to be Challenged in Court?

The revocation of the passport of an applicant under the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP), could be challenged in the High Court, reliable sources have told St Lucia Times.

According to information, an applicant who had Saint Lucian citizenship issued but later had it and his passport revoked, has been considering considering legal action against Saint Lucian authorities.

Just last month, the  Saint Lucia Gazette featured the names of six individuals who lost their Saint Lucian citizenship under the CIP.

The individuals had their citizenship revoked because, according to the Gazette, they committed acts which may bring this country into disrepute

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CIP, Nestor Alfred,revealed at a press conference about three weeks before the release of the publication , that 259 persons had been granted citizenship under the CIP.

But he explained that there were instances where law enforcement had given the all clear and citizenship was denied, because applicants may not have provided relevant information, including whether they held a second passport.

However Alfred  disclosed that only a small number of persons were rejected or had their citizenship revoked.

Just last week, Prime Minister, Allen Chastanet said that this country has erred on the side of caution in its Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP).

“I think it has been a learning curve for us, particularly in the processing,” Chastanet told reporters on Thursday of last week.

“Whereas we are not certain as to how we should proceed, we have not given approval,” Chastanet, who is also responsible for finance, explained.