Prime Minister Drew Flags Possible Financial Blacklisting as Bigger Concern Than Visa-Free Access in CBI Debate

Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 5, 2026 (PMO) — The possibility of financial blacklisting warrants greater attention than the risk to visa-free travel as St. Kitts and Nevis considers its response to European concerns over Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes. This was expressed by Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew at his most recent Roundtable session. 

Responding to questions from members of the media, Dr. Drew said he had received information suggesting that the operation of a CBI programme could be considered in decisions about financial blacklisting. He raised the matter as a potential risk and pointed to the strain such a development could place on the country.

“I am now picking up that having a CBI program can be one of the parameters to blacklist a country. That is even worse than the visa. If your country is blacklisted financially, that will create serious strain,” the Prime Minister said.

The European Union’s revised visa suspension rules list the operation of an investor citizenship scheme among the grounds on which the EU may act to suspend visa-free travel to the Schengen area. Those published rules govern travel access. The Prime Minister separately raised the potential financial implications based on information he said he had received.

Asked how St. Kitts and Nevis would respond, Dr. Drew said the government is still actively gathering information. “A statement will go out once we gather it,” he said. He added that the decision would be guided by what best protects the Federation’s interests.

The Prime Minister also pointed to steps his administration has taken to strengthen oversight of the CBI Programme. In January 2026, the government announced plans to introduce a residency feature for investors and collect biometric data from prospective citizens as part of its efforts to strengthen programme security.

Dr. Drew said the government has been working since 2022 to reduce the country’s dependence on CBI revenue so that changes affecting the programme would place less strain on the national budget.

“But I can say clearly that whatever the decision is, St. Kitts and Nevis is already on a path to live without CBI, because we always saw that that was a possibility,” the Prime Minister Expressed.

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