Astaphan: Antigua and Dominica Not Singularly Targeted by U.S. Visa Policy

Regional governments, not individual Caribbean leaders, are being unfairly targeted over recent U.S. visa sanctions, according to attorney-at-law Anthony Astaphan, who says the measures overlook years of reforms already carried out by Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica.

Astaphan pushed back against opposition accusations aimed at Prime Ministers Gaston Browne and Roosevelt Skerrit, saying critics have ignored a regional process that began in 2023 to tighten oversight of Citizenship by Investment Programmes (CIP).

He said the five Eastern Caribbean CIP countries have worked jointly with international partners, including the United States and the European Union, on security, anti-money laundering and compliance concerns. Those talks, he said, led to agreed principles and a detailed framework establishing a regional CBI Regulatory Authority.

Astaphan said the reforms—covering tougher due diligence, clearer residency rules and restrictions on name changes—were passed into law, with Antigua and Barbuda acting first. He added that matters cited in the U.S. proclamation had already been addressed before the sanctions were issued.

He said the visa action is part of a wider policy affecting several countries and should not be portrayed as evidence of wrongdoing by Antigua and Barbuda or Dominica alone.

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