by Kevon Browne
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN)—Premier of Nevis Hon. Mark Brantley has declared that “CBI as we know it is dead,” doubling down on his warnings that Caribbean nations must urgently transition away from Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs.
“And my conclusion from all this is that CBI as we know it is dead. I really do regret saying that, but that is my conclusion. The world now is becoming increasingly hostile. The geopolitical environment is becoming increasingly hostile, particularly to small island states. And the immigration policy, which has now, as I’ve said, been weaponised in many major countries, is such that people like you and I are being excluded. And let’s call it for what it is. We are being excluded systematically. The rules are being changed. And especially our dear friends in the United States, they’ve seen immigration policy as a tool of coercion. So as before, we would sit across the table, and we’d have a conversation about these matters. Now we’re being told you either do this, or these are the consequences. Recognising that Caribbean people have traditionally been a migrant people, the implications of that for us might be more severe than they would be in other areas of the world,” Premier Brantley on a recent interview with The Bubb Report.
His latest declarations follow a formal mandate from the European Commission demanding Eastern Caribbean nations completely phase out their investment migration schemes by June 1, 2028.
“These are the realities we must treat with the world, not as we wish it to be, but as it is. And given these realities, it is for us now as a region to fashion our own responses in terms of how we treat, how we engage. And so we need, at pace, to diversify these economies. I’ve mentioned renewable energy. St. Lucia has that potential. Grenada has that potential. Dominica has already shown us the way. They’ve commissioned a 10-megawatt geothermal plant, the first in the English-speaking Caribbean. Nevis is showing the way in terms of what we’re trying to do here. And I do feel that we have the potential to transform these economies into energy-based economies, renewable energy-based economies.”
The Catalysts for the “Death” is a European Commission directive issued in June 2026 that demands a complete shutdown of these programs by 2028, offering a 24-month phase-out period.
Failure to comply will prompt Brussels to revoke crucial visa-free access to the Schengen Area.
International policymakers argue that granting nationality without a substantial physical or economic connection poses unacceptable security and public policy risks.
Brantley previously highlighted how heavily sovereign nations depend on this revenue: St. Kitts and Nevis: 60%-70% of annual government revenue. Dominica: 40%-60% of annual government revenue.Grenada: 30%-35% of annual government revenue.Saint Lucia: 15%-25% of annual government revenue.
Brantley noted that outsourcing national development budgets to foreign policymakers means regional claims of true political independence are “mere imagination”.
Rather than treating diversification as an aspiration, Brantley urges Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) leaders to make it an immediate economic necessity through geothermal & green energy.
Nevis is leveraging its 1,000-megawatt geothermal potential to attract high-power tech industries, including AI data centres, which would bring several environmental concerns regarding ecology and water resources.
The Premier also reiterates the importance of investing heavily in hydroponics and shade-house technologies to lower food import bills and shield against inflation, incentivising wealthy and educated Caribbean nationals to return home.
Pivoting to technology, specialised healthcare, international financial services, and the creative economy, and all other intersecting industries could offset the catastrophic loss of CBI infrastructure funds.
