Prime Minister Gaston Browne says the European Union has warned that Antigua and Barbuda could lose visa-free access to the Schengen Area by the end of the year over concerns surrounding the country’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme, but his administration intends to intensify diplomatic engagement in an effort to prevent that outcome.

Speaking on Pointe FM on Saturday, Browne said the government is seeking a high-level meeting with European officials to persuade them to reconsider what he described as a threatened policy change.

“The European Union has threatened that they could withdraw their visa-free access, potentially by the end of the year,” Browne said. “We don’t know for sure they will, but we’re trying to have a high-level engagement with them to see if we can actually reconsider.”

The prime minister said Antigua and Barbuda believes an electronic travel authorization system should be sufficient to address Europe’s security concerns while preserving the long-standing visa-free arrangement.

“We have the view that an electronic travel authorization should be sufficient,” Browne said. “We think that it’s a sensible thing to do to maintain the good relations that we’ve had over the years and not to throw the baby out with the bath water.”

According to Browne, the concerns extend beyond Antigua and Barbuda and affect other Eastern Caribbean countries operating investment migration programmes.

He noted that Ireland recently ended visa-free arrangements for some Caribbean nations and acknowledged that additional restrictions could follow despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.

“We can anticipate that, despite our best efforts, these visa-free arrangements may be discontinued,” he said.

Despite that possibility, Browne insisted his government has no intention of abandoning the Citizenship by Investment Programme, describing it as an essential pillar of the country’s finances.

“What I will say here, under my leadership and certainly under the Labour Party’s governance of this country, with or without those visa-free arrangements, our CIP programme continues,” Browne said. “It is too important a source of non-tax revenue to give it up.”

Browne defended the integrity of Antigua and Barbuda’s programme, arguing that while no immigration system is entirely immune from abuse, the country’s due diligence procedures compare favorably with those of larger nations.

“We are pretty sure that we have strengthened our programme and that it does not represent any significant risk to any country,” he said. “Nothing is foolproof… I believe that our programmes are better run than theirs.”

The prime minister rejected suggestions that Caribbean investment migration programmes pose a unique security threat, noting that countries criticizing the region also operate their own investment-based immigration programmes.

“I can say definitively in the case of Antigua and Barbuda, our programme is run with integrity,” Browne said. “I’ve never once overturned any case that was actually rejected by the CI Unit. We have allowed the unit and the board to operate independently.”

He argued that Antigua and Barbuda’s small size actually makes it more difficult for individuals with criminal intentions to remain undetected.

“If anything, our CIP programmes are helping these larger countries to unearth the criminals,” Browne said, adding that wealthy individuals with legitimate business interests could often obtain visas directly from those same countries without relying on Caribbean citizenship.

Browne also criticized what he described as a double standard in the treatment of Caribbean nations, saying they are often unfairly grouped together whenever concerns arise about investment migration.

“The unfortunate thing about it is that they keep dubbing us with the same brush,” he said.

Looking ahead, Browne said Antigua and Barbuda remains willing to strengthen international cooperation by introducing additional security measures, including biometric screening for CBI applicants and greater information sharing with foreign governments.

“If we can collaborate and make sure that we have the biometric exam for these CIP citizens and that we can share information, if anything, it will help them to unearth these criminals,” he said.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: VIDEO: EU Threatens to End Visa-Free Access for Antigua and Barbuda and OECS by Year-End, PM Says.