St. Vincent and the Grenadines could face severe diplomatic consequences and lose critical visa-free travel privileges if the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) implements a citizenship-for-investment program, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves cautioned in a recent political rally.
Gonsalves highlighted the potential risks of selling passports, emphasizing the threat to the country’s hard-won visa-free access to Europe and the United Kingdom.
The warning comes amid growing international scrutiny of citizenship-by-investment schemes that could trigger the European Union’s stringent Visa Suspension Mechanism.
The Council of the European Union has approved significant updates to its mechanism for suspending visa-free travel, granting the EU more robust tools to address potential misuses of travel privileges by third-country nationals.
Under the new rules, the EU can now revoke visa-free status for countries that fail to align with its visa policies or operate controversial investor citizenship schemes. Additionally, the mechanism will allow suspension in cases of deteriorating diplomatic relations or human rights violations.
The regulation lowers the threshold for triggering suspension from 50% to 30%, making it easier to respond to substantial increases in refused entry, overstay cases, asylum applications, and serious criminal offenses.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines enjoys visa-free travel to the UK for up to six months and to EU member states for 90 days – a privilege not extended to many neighboring Caribbean nations. Gonsalves warned that introducing an investor citizenship program could jeopardize these critical travel arrangements.
The new mechanism will become directly binding and applicable across EU member states following publication in the Official Journal, marking a significant step in managing external border controls and maintaining security.
The regulation is set to enter into force twenty days after its official publication, signaling a new era in the EU’s approach to managing international travel privileges.
