Saint Lucia has ranked third in the Citizen by Investment Programme (CIP) globally, as revealed by the latest Henley & Partners 2024 Global Citizenship Program Index.
Malta grabbed the top spot, followed by Austria, while Saint Lucia occupies the third place alongside Antigua and Barbuda, and Grenada among some 100 countries.
The factors used to determine these rankings, includes quality of life, visa-free travel, investment prerequisites, compliance measures, residency requirements, relocation flexibility, transparency, and reputation.
The Henley & Partners report cited its findings as a comprehensive benchmarking of the world’s most important citizenship programmes. It adds that that the forum is indispensable for anyone considering citizenship by investment, as this interactive tool enables investors to select the factors that matter most to them and their families.
The Henley Citizenship Program Index reflects the relative worth of the most reputable citizenship by investment programs around the world. Published each year in the Investment Migration Programs report, the index is revised annually by leading academic researchers, country risk specialists, economists, independent expert immigration and citizenship lawyers, and other specialists.
The Global Citizenship Program Index top rankings are as follows:
Malta, Austria, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, the Republic of Dominica, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, North Macedonia, Vanuatu, and Cambodia.
Meanwhile, the debate rages on, with the government asserting that Saint Lucia’s CIP is ‘robust’ and on solid footing, while opposition critics contend that the country is in danger of losing its Visa- Free status due to discrepancies with the country’s CIP operations.
On Thursday, the debate unfolded in the Upper House, with Opposition Senator Dominic Fedee declaring that critically, it was the European Union (EU) that would have the last say in this matter.
The former tourism minister argues that despite the Henley & Partners latest ratings, some of the EU member CIPs are under pressure to adjust.
“The region is under a microscope and we have got to be very careful,” Fedee said.
Contrarily, Government Senator Lisa Jawahir noted that the EU and the Saint Lucia government had in no way suggested Saint Lucia’s visa-free access to the European Union was at risk.
“That is absolutely false,” she said, adding that the UWP is bent on peddling ‘political mischief’.
Noting that Lucia’s CIP was ‘extremely strong’, Jawahir asserted: “It is the most robust programme in the Caribbean and we will not compromise on any part of it.”