BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC—The St. Kitts-Nevis government has contacted United States officials for clarification following reports that the twin-island federation has been included in a list of nations facing potential travel restrictions.
Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew confirmed in a statement that his administration, along with the country’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., has engaged with US authorities after a New York Times report indicated that St. Kitts and Nevis would be placed in a “yellow” category of nations that would have 60 days to address perceived deficiencies or risk travel restrictions.
“The government is not aware of any such concerns raised by US counterparts,” the statement said, adding that the government has also not received any communication on this matter, either formal or informal, from US authorities.
The New York Times reported that the draft list detailing three tiers of countries whose citizens may face restrictions on entering the US included a “red” list of 11 nations whose citizens would be flatly barred from entering the US and an “orange” list of 10 countries for which travel would be restricted but not cut off. According to the report, officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the State Department had developed the list several weeks ago and that changes were likely by the time it reached the White House.
Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominica are also on the “yellow” list of 22 nations. While no reason was given for the placement of countries in that category, the New York Times noted that issues could include inadequate security practices for issuing passports, insufficient information-sharing on travelers, or the selling of citizenship to people from banned countries. All the Caribbean islands on the list have Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs.
In its statement, the St. Kitts and Nevis government stressed that it had maintained an open dialogue with the US government since August 2022, particularly regarding reforms to its CBI program. In January, Prime Minister Drew participated in a three-day multilateral meeting with senior US State Department and Treasury officials in the United Kingdom.
“This engagement, along with ongoing discussions, underscores the federation’s commitment to international cooperation and adherence to global best practices in the CBI sector,” the government said.
It added that a consultant has begun drafting a subregional regulatory framework for CBI programs across the five Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States territories that operate such initiatives.
“The consultant and the interim regulatory committee recently met with Prime Minister Drew and other officials from St. Kitts and Nevis to advance this process,” the government disclosed.
The government assured the public that it remains dedicated to transparency and accountability and will provide updates should any official communication from the US be received.
Prime Minister Drew reiterated St Kitts and Nevis’ diplomatic stance, affirming that “the United States has been an invaluable development partner, and we are grateful for their contributions to our Federation over the years. We are committed to strengthening our relationship.”
The Antigua and Barbuda governments have also contacted the US government to seek clarification about the reported potential travel restrictions. In a diplomatic note sent to the US State Department on Saturday, the Antigua and Barbuda Embassy in the US expressed deep concern about the reports.
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