New Dominican Government Promises to Stop Economic National Program

On February 1, 2000, Rosie Douglas, upon becoming the new prime minister of Dominica after the election on January 31, 2000, announced that his Government would abolish its economic nationality program. Foreign governments, especially Canada and the U.S., recently complained that the law program offered opportunities for illegal migration and refuge by transnational criminals. In particular, Canadian authorities recently criticized the program after immigration officers in Toronto checked 11 Chinese nationals carrying passports issued by Dominica. According to Canadian officials, the so-called businessmen had spent only one month in Dominica and had obtained Dominican citizenship by making an “investment” of $50,000 each. Canada threatened to review immigration agreements with Dominica and other Caribbean countries, including St. Vincent, Grenada and St. Kitts, which have similar programs…[more]