BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC—The St. Kitts-Nevis authorities says it has revoked the citizenship of 13 individuals and their dependents as a part of the “decisive actions” taken to protect the Citizenship by Funding (CBI) Programme. Via this Programme, overseas buyers are granted citizenship of the Twin Island Federation in return for making a big contribution to the nation’s socio-economic growth.
The CBI program, which can be being undertaken by the governments in St. Lucia, Antigua, and Barbuda, Grenada, and Dominica, has come underneath scrutiny by the US and European governments. Some declare that it supplies a possibility for shady characters to acquire overseas passports.
In a press release, the federal government stated that along with the Citizenship by Funding Unit (CIU), “decisive actions” have been taken “to protect the integrity and worldwide repute of the CBI Programme.”
It stated following a complete investigation by the Ministry of Nationwide Safety, Immigration, and Citizenship, the federal government has issued the Saint Christopher and Nevis Citizenship (Deprivation of Citizenship) Order, 2025, ensuing within the revocation of citizenship from 13 people and their dependents who had been discovered to have didn’t pay the statutory minimal funding required underneath the CBI Programme, regardless of having indicated in any other case of their purposes.
“The investigation stemmed from a evaluation of 158 redacted purposes and contracts with two Worldwide Advertising Brokers linked to suspicious practices”.
The federal government stated it contacted 158 recognized people. Of those, 32 paid their excellent funding stability, 13 admitted to non-payment of the required sums and took no corrective motion, and one particular person requested a listening to earlier than a Fee of Inquiry.
It stated the remaining people are in dialogue with the related authority to settle excellent funding balances.
“After cautious consideration, exercising powers underneath Sections 8 and 10 of the Citizenship Act to problem deprivation orders in March 2025, the Ministry issued the Saint Christopher and Nevis Citizenship (Deprivation of Citizenship) Order, 2025 based mostly on false illustration and willful concealment of fabric info, and within the curiosity of the general public good”.
In tandem with these efforts, the CIU has completely blocked two Worldwide Advertising Brokers—Latitude Consultancy and RIF Belief—for advertising the CBI Programme “at funding quantities beneath the statutory minimal and deceptive purchasers, clear violations of the legal guidelines governing the Programme.
“Shoppers of each firms confirmed receiving false assurances of ‘particular reductions.’ Each entities at the moment are prohibited from all CBI-related actions and can’t current themselves as brokers or associates of the Programme,” the federal government stated.
It additionally stated it had terminated its funding settlement with MSR Media SKN Ltd and MSR Motels & Co. Ltd, “following a number of breaches of their contractual obligations.
“These embrace failures to renovate and function key hospitality and tourism infrastructure, make use of agreed numbers of native residents, and ship promised movie productions. “Compounding these breaches, the MSR Firms and their principals launched a coordinated worldwide marketing campaign to discredit the Saint Kitts and Nevis CBI Programme and falsely accuse Authorities officers of native and cross-jurisdictional unethical practices—actions wholly incompatible with a constructive partnership underneath the CBI framework.”
The federal government stated that it’s reiterating “its zero-tolerance coverage towards abuse of the CBI Programme and stays resolute in imposing its laws to make sure that solely credible, compliant buyers profit from citizenship of Saint Kitts and Nevis.”
