The Caribbean’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) industry is under fire. The United States is quietly tightening the screws, revisiting concerns first raised under the Trump-era travel bans that targeted countries with weak vetting standards.
The European Union is going even further, actively petitioning to revoke Schengen visa-free access for CBI nations. This is not sabre-rattling. It is real geopolitical pressure.
Caribbean governments are now pushing to establish a regional regulatory body by summer. The question is whether this effort is genuine reform or just damage control. For years, our coastlines have been scarred by stalled CBI projects, white elephants from St. Lucia to St. Kitts. Critics say the model is broken. Supporters argue it is simply young. They have a point. We didn’t shut down Silicon Valley because of FTX.
But the message is clear. The CBI industry must mature or it will be dismantled from the outside. Transparency is essential. Local populations need to know what CBI funds are being used for and see real outcomes. Otherwise, public trust erodes and resentment grows. No system can fully prevent bad actors, but governments can and must enforce consequences to protect the legitimacy of the programme.
This is a critical inflection point. CBI can remain a tool for national development or become a global liability. The timeline is simple. This industry will either die or evolve.
