Eastern Caribbean leaders have agreed send a high-level diplomatic mission to Brussels as they seek to safeguard their Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes following the European Union’s move to strengthen its visa suspension mechanism.

The decision was taken during a meeting of Heads of Government of participating Eastern Caribbean states in Roseau, Dominica, on Friday, where regional leaders discussed the potential implications of the European Commission’s proposed changes for countries that operate investor citizenship programmes.

The meeting was chaired by Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and attended by Prime Ministers Philip Pierre of Saint Lucia, Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda, Dickon Mitchell of Grenada, Terrance Drew of Saint Kitts and Nevis and Godwin Friday of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Five members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)—Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia—operate Citizenship by Investment programmes, which allow foreign investors to obtain citizenship by making qualifying investments in the country. 

Passports from the small island states punch well above their size allowing holders visa-free access to more than 140 destinations, including most countries in the European Union, and have become a major source of government revenue.

Current minimum investment thresholds begin at US$200,000 in Dominica, US$230,000 in Antigua and Barbuda, and US$240,000 in Saint Kitts and Nevis.

In a June 25 letter, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner to Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne, informed Browne that Antigua and Barbuda had until June 1, 2028 to phase out its CBI program or the country will be removed from the Schengen visa free travel list.

In the letter, Antigua and Barbuda was inform that the country had to enact service stricter vetting programs 

In a joint statement, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a strong relationship with the European Union while defending programmes they say have become essential to the economic resilience and sustainable development of small island states.

They agreed to pursue coordinated diplomatic engagement with European institutions and member states, including a high-level mission to Brussels to meet with the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Council and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

The discussions come after the European Commission proposed revisions to its visa suspension mechanism that would make it easier for the bloc to suspend visa-free travel for countries operating investor citizenship schemes where security, governance or due diligence concerns arise.

While acknowledging those concerns, the Eastern Caribbean leaders said their governments have spent several years strengthening the integrity of their programmes through enhanced due diligence, greater information sharing, increased transparency and harmonised regional standards.

They also pointed to the establishment of the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA), which is expected to begin operations later this year, as evidence of the region’s commitment to stronger oversight and common regulatory standards.

The leaders argued that Citizenship by Investment programmes have become a critical source of development financing, supporting investments in infrastructure, housing, healthcare, education, climate resilience and disaster recovery while helping countries reduce their dependence on external borrowing.

They warned that any changes affecting the programmes must recognise the unique economic vulnerabilities of small island developing states.