Astaphan: Antigua, Dominica Should Not Be Blamed for U.S. Visa Sanctions

Attorney-at-Law Anthony Astaphan SC says Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica should not be blamed for the recent United States visa sanctions affecting residents, arguing that both countries have taken extensive steps, well ahead of the sanctions—to strengthen oversight of their Citizenship by Investment Programmes (CIP).

Opposition parties in both Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica have sought to place responsibility for the U.S. measures squarely on the shoulders of Prime Ministers Gaston Browne and Roosevelt Skerrit, citing concerns surrounding the management of CIP programmes and other issues, including the Cuban medical brigade.

However, Astaphan, who is currently working closely with both heads of government, dismissed those claims over the weekend, describing them as ill-informed and misleading.

According to Astaphan, there has been close and sustained collaboration since 2023 between the prime ministers of the five Eastern Caribbean CIP countries and the heads of their respective Citizenship by Investment Units, in direct engagement with international partners, including the United States and the European Union.

He said a key milestone in that process occurred in October, when senior officials from the United States—focused on anti-money laundering and counter-narcotics—met with regional representatives and agreed on six core principles designed to protect the integrity of the CIP framework.

“That engagement resulted in several meetings, some of which were also attended by EU officials,” Astaphan explained. “Those discussions culminated in an 81-page agreement to establish a regional CBI Regulatory Authority, with far-reaching reforms covering due diligence, residency requirements, and the prohibition on name changes. All of those measures were enacted into law.”

Astaphan noted that Antigua and Barbuda was the first country to pass and implement the required legislative changes, underscoring the government’s proactive approach to addressing international concerns.

He further explained that while the U.S. proclamation referenced issues related to residency, Antigua and Barbuda had already made the necessary legal adjustments well before the announcement.

“Where Antigua and Barbuda is concerned, those changes were already in place,” he said.

“Anyone—especially politicians and members of the opposition—who continues to criticise the CIP is either completely ignorant of the history of collaboration with the United States, or simply missed the parliamentary sittings and was unaware that the legislation had already been passed.”

Astaphan did not mince words in addressing the public commentary surrounding the issue.

“I have listened to too much garbage on this matter,” he said, insisting that the narrative being advanced by critics ignores both the facts and the timeline of reforms.

Astaphan’s comments come amid ongoing regional and international scrutiny of citizenship-by-investment programmes, as governments continue efforts to balance economic benefits with heightened global compliance and security standards.

Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica are not alone; a number of other countries have been affected by the same U.S. policy measures.