DOMINICA-Dominica PM is pleased with the visit of EU/ UK delegates.

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says he is awaiting the recommendations of a special delegation from the European Union and the United Kingdom that visited the island last month on the controversial Citizenship by Investment Programme (CBI).

Under the CBI, Dominica grants citizenship to foreign nationals in return for making a substantial investment in the island’s socio-economic development.

But the program has come under severe scrutiny with the British government imposing visa restrictions on Dominicans entering the country last August.

London also said Dominican nationals must obtain a Direct Airside Transit Visa if they intend to transit via the UK.

Speaking on the state-owned DBS radio, Skerrit confirmed the delegation’s visit, saying the members “were satisfied with what we have done and are doing.

“So, the meeting was very constructive. They had a completely different perspective regarding the CBI program because they relied on what they heard and were told.

According to the Prime Minister, the delegation conducted on-site evaluations of the CBI and Immigration Units and held meetings with Due Diligence firms to understand their operations.

Prime Minister Skerrit told radio listeners that the delegation left Dominica with an improved understanding and mindset of the CBI program and that the situation was helped by the government’s successfully tabling legislation recently to deal with a number of issues, including name changes, implementing regulations for CBI program marketing and promotion, and other measures.

“We are transparent; we try our best to follow the processes and maintain the program’s integrity. I always invite our international partners to come forward and visit to see what we are doing. We owe a duty to ourselves and the international community,” Skerrit said, adding that he remains confident that the recommendations that the EU officials would submit will further improve the CBI program.

Regarding the visit of the UK Home Office delegation, Prime Minister Skerrit said, “They were very happy to see physically what is happening, and they left with a positive attitude towards what Dominica is doing.”

He also announced plans to send a retired police officer to the UK to discuss reinstating visa-free access.