Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Information, Hon Dr. Ernest Hilaire, has responded to public concerns surrounding the loss of visa-free access to the European Union for Saint Lucians. The response came after claims from the Opposition that Saint Lucia stood to lose its visa-free access status.

“We've been in dialogue with the EU about the actions that they've taken, and I'm sure that when I’m finished explaining you will understand, and might even agree with the EU. The EU now has a regime where if citizens from the countries that have visa-free access behave in a particular manner that is injurious to the interests of the EU, they can lose that visa-free access. The EU will first discourse with a country and explain the problem. If the country does not  act on it, the EU will allow a period over which it can solve the problem, or else lose visa-free access.”

The Minister pointed out that the presence of Citizenship by Investment Programs can have implications on visa-free access.

“What the EU is doing now, is that it has recognized  the possibility for people with CIP citizenships to travel to the EU and seek asylum because they have visa-free access. So they want to put measures in place to alert the countries if there is an escalation in such incidences, and if they do nothing, then to waive visa-free access. So what the EU has done is to add CIP to the existing list of countries that can be asked to take action because their citizens are violating the rules of the EU.

Dr. Hilaire went on to state that there has been no indication that the European Union has any concerns pertaining to Saint Lucia, that would merit any action toward revoking visa-free access. He reiterates that Saint Lucia’s CIP program is robust and continuously prevails in doing its due diligence.