Posted on 02/13/2013 3:41:14 PM PST by posterchild
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) -- Hadi Mezawi has never set foot on the Caribbean island of Dominica, has never seen its rainforests or black-sand beaches. But he's one of its newest citizens.
Without leaving his home in the United Arab Emirates, the Palestinian man recently received a brand new Dominican passport after sending a roughly $100,000 contribution to the tropical nation half a world away.
"At the start I was a little worried that it might be a fraud, but the process turned out to be quite smooth and simple. Now, I am a Dominican," said Mezawi, who like many Palestinians had not been recognized as a citizen of any country. That passport will help with travel for his job with a Brazilian food processing company, he said by telephone from Dubai.
Turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa has led to a surge of interest in programs that let investors buy citizenship or residence in countries around the world in return for a healthy contribution or investment. Most are seeking a second passport for hassle-free travel or a ready escape hatch in case things get worse at home.
Nowhere is it easier or faster than in the minuscule Eastern Caribbean nations of Dominica and St. Kitts & Nevis.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I might do that if they would deal with the IRS over my exit taxes.
Once this gets out....I’d expect 10k Americans to apply over the next year.
Hmmmm (again) ... BJ and GHWB went to Haiti ... wellll ... maybe not ....
just sayin'
If we could get $100K from each illegal.... hhhmmm
Over the next decade, you’ll see the “best and brightest” of the medical field leave the US and set up boutique clinics somewhere in the Caribbean for wealthy Americans to utilize outside of BaraqqiCare. They will also create some good jobs for capable grunts interested in moving beyond tyranny.
$100,000? I’d like to know where that money came from, given that he works in “food processing”.
So, what’s the cheapest country which does this, that is actually a decent place to live, being stable both politically and economically, with a bare minimum of grabby bureaucracy?
Is there such a place? Several Central American countries are pleasant and cheap, with Belize being very doable on a $2,000.00 a month SS check, but stability is a relatively recent thing for the region, so I’d tend to wonder about longterm prospects. No idea regarding citizenship.
A great solution for the people in the world who are stateless.
I personally know 2 families who have moved to Costa Rica. I think it’s too soon for them to know if it will be a good decision in the long run, but for now, they just want to get away from what they see will be the biggest collapse of a nation/economy in human history.
He’s from the Emirates.
#6 in the world in per capita income.
We have a FReeper on the FR state forum for NC who has been in Colombia for about that length of time, very nice according to him, but they’re in one of the smaller inland cities. Still pockets of FARC out in the countryside. Currency, peso, has appreciated a fair amount since he’s been there. Cost of living is low unless you’re converting from dollars right now.
$100,000 in order to acquire citizenship when you currently have no citizenship is a great price.
And, as long as he broke no US laws, it is none of our business how he came up with the 100k.
No big mystery—Dubai has no taxes and high expat manager salaries.
I assume the UAE could be a problematic location if/when bigtime SHTF in the mideast. This guy is likely buying himself a nice insurance policy.
So let me get this straight... I send them $100,000, they will send me a “passport”?? That’s almost as awesome a deal as the fact that someone in Nigeria is sending me $500,000, all for sending him $150,000. Once I get that money wired to my account, I’m going to be all over this!!!
That's because Arab countries don't want them.
Meanwhile, our own hospitals here in the US will be increasingly staffed by 3rd world doctors, a process that has been underway for some time already, and will only get worse.
His problem was that he could never leave the UAE for work, vacation or anything.
Now, he may never in his life enter the DR but he can go to any country he wants.
Many countries have “Immigrant Investor” policies where you don’t have to actually make any donations - just invest in a business or sometimes just put the dough in a bank account and get citizenship either immediately or can apply in a few years.
Canada had, and probably still does, have one. That is why Vancouver (also known now as Hongcouver) has 15% Chinese population - most from Hong Kong pre-return to Chinese provincial status.
Thailand also has similar path to citizenship but I think they want more like $500K investment (bank deposit) - not sure about that though.
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