In a big personal defeat, Prime Minister Browne may “suspend” the country’s scandal-ridden Citizenship by Investment Programme within the next two weeks.

The reason: the European Union has been warning Antigua and Barbuda that it will lose visa-free access to the Schengen Area of 25 EU countries and 4 non-EU countries including Switzerland.

A&B passports sold to foreigners are so rife with fraud and abuse that they are no longer considered reliable forms of identification.

“No final determination has been made, but based on the preliminary discussions, it’s very likely that Antigua and Barbuda will suspend its CIP program come November 12th,” Browne stated in The Observer.

Browne did not say he would end the troubled program.

“The development follows years of EU scrutiny over citizenship-by-investment schemes, including concerns about security, applicant screening and the granting of citizenship without substantial ties to the issuing country,” according to The Observer.

The government revealed in July that the EU had sought gradual closure of the CIP by June, 2028. The sudden new date of November 12, which was not explained, could be due to pressure from the United States, which shares Europe’s concerns.

“European authorities concerned about security risks, the screening of applicants and the granting of citizenship to individuals without substantial connections to the countries issuing passports,” according to The Observer. “The European Commission has repeatedly identified programmes operating in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia as potential risks to the integrity of the EU’s visa-free travel arrangements.”

Canada suspended visa-free travel back in 2017. The US tightened visa restrictions earlier this year.

In his 2025 proclamation, President Donald Trump singled out Antigua and Barbuda’s CIP for presenting “national security” and “counterterrorism” problems for the US because of the passport sales.