By NAN Business Editor
News Americas, CASTRIES, St. Lucia, Fri. Mar. 18, 2022: A Caribbean country that offers citizenship at a price is keeping its Citizenship by Investment Programme open to all, including some Russians and Belarusians.
While some Caribbean countries with the CIP programs have moved to not offer it to Russians and Belarusians in light of the war Russia is waging on Ukraine from Belarus and the sanctions slapped on Russia by the US, St. Lucia is keeping its program open to nationals of the two country “who have lived outside Russia for many years and themselves have been persecuted or needed to flee the actions of the regime.”
The Phillip J. Pierre administration said while St. Lucia will continue to support all international efforts to sanction the regimes in Russia and Belarusa and will take all necessary action when called upon to do so,” it does not support the discrimination of any person based on their nationality.
But it said it will suspend processing of applications from Russia and Belarusia now.
“It was felt that these people should not be abandoned and disregarded once they pass due diligence,” the government said in a statement, adding that the authorities here now have “a very rigid and robust due diligence process that is done in consultation with our international partners and friendly governments.
The government also said it has continued to dialogue and discuss with all its international friends to ensure that it is part of the international effort to restrict the Russian regime and to ensure transparency and openness in the operations of its CBI.
And the statement added that the current administration will continue to make representation for persons who are special cases suffering from persecution and discrimination from the Russian regime and are in need of support in these difficult circumstances.
But it will revoke the citizenship of anyone (from those two countries) who were granted citizenship and is now sanctioned.
