SHOULD THE EU ABOLISH VISA-FREE ACCESS FOR THE FIVE EAST CARIBBEAN CBI STATES?

 If you closely read the action taken by the European Council, to permanently revoke visa-free Schengen Zone privileges for holders of passports from Vanuatu, you know that there were major deficiencies With that country's Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme. In truth and in fact, those same deficiencies exist in the passport sales programmes of the five East Caribbean states, which are St. Kitts & Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, St. Lucia and Grenada. Is it not now time for the EU to take that step with the CBI schemes of these jurisdictions, as it is already seeking to cancel Malta's IIM (CBI) programme, for being inconsistent with European values and principles?

Objectively speaking, the due diligence investigations conducted by the five East Caribbean CBI states have never risen to the level of banking best practises, resulting in transnational career criminals, corrupt PEPs, terrorist financiers, intelligence agents, sanctions evaders, fraudsters and the Usual Suspects getting their hands on free access to the EU. The level of corruption in those countries, and the avarice of many in local governments, have created a impossible situation that requires bold, even radical, action to terminate there access of these bad actors to Europe. 

The UK no longer being a part of EU, any objections due to the Commonwealth of Nations status from Britain should no longer interfere with closing the doorway to Europe for individuals who only wish to do harm. We know that the CBI industry will vigorously oppose this move, but since these passports facilitate money laundering and terrorist financing, any they are being repeatedly issued to unsuitable applicants, it is time for there loophole to be closed, permanently, to reduce runaway financial crime and there improper use of these travel documents for illicit purpopses.