by Jeff Thomas
December 26, 2016

from InternationalMan Website

 

 

 

 

 


"The bottom line is that anyone can be ISIS. We therefore need an approach to securing civilized societies that doesn't allow individuals to hide behind the cloak of Western passports…

 

The time has come for a 'global passport,' a parallel digital certification of a person's identity, background, criminal record, travel history, and other details.

 

The digital record would be regularly updated based on databases from airlines, customs agencies, banks and other sources, and could be managed by an independent international authority."

The above quote comers from CNN, an American news network that has done such an exemplary job in recent years in serving as a mouthpiece for the US Government.

The argument for global passports is a familiar one:

"You are in danger of being killed by terrorists. We will save you by removing yet another of your freedoms."

Or, as Hermann Goering said,

"The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy.

 

All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."

Over one billion people presently cross borders each year...

 

In addition, there are over 250 million people who are expatriates - living outside their home country. These numbers are higher than ever before in history and growing.

 

As The Great Unravelling progresses, we will witness a dramatic increase in both statistics.

 

Along the way, we can expect the more restrictive governments, particularly those of the EU and US, to institute limitations on travel for their citizens, in order to keep them captive at home.

So, we can therefore anticipate changes in the issuance of passports.

 

There are two concepts afoot with regard to the future of passports, and they're direct opposites of each other:

  • The first is for a Global Passport, that all countries would issue and all would share computer information on all passport holders.

     

  • The other is a proliferation of passports created by an easing of citizenship requirements in small countries, resulting in each individual having the ability to possess several passports, thus diminishing his "ownership" by his home country.

These two concepts are both almost certain to develop considerably in the coming years and for the same reason.

 

As stated, the more restrictive countries are likely to push for a global passport - an Orwellian document that says,

"No matter where you are, you travel on our document. We have all your information and we own you."

The more this trend increases in prominence, the more the second trend will increase, in direct reaction.

 

More and more countries will offer citizenship to non-nationals, as the demand for freedom increases amongst oppressed people.

Most of the countries that presently offer "Citizenship by Investment" are small countries:

  • Malta and Cyprus in the Mediterranean

  • five island nations in the Caribbean:

    • Grenada

    • Antigua & Barbuda

    • St. Kitts & Nevis

    • Dominica

    • St. Lucia

A visit to any of the small Caribbean countries will reveal that since the decline of the sugar industry, they have had few choices with regard to future prosperity.

 

Quaint small towns and villages and nice beaches attract a certain amount of tourism, but something greater is needed to support an entire population.

 

Decades ago, St. Kitts & Nevis decided to try Citizenship by Investment. At first, the takers were few, but, in recent years, with much of the world imploding, the program has attracted greater interest.

The way it works is that an applicant can either buy citizenship (approval takes only a month or two) for $250,000, or he can buy into a real estate project for $400,000 or more. Due to recent success, other island nations have jumped on board, offering their own programs… and here's where it gets interesting.

As soon as eight or 10 island nations are offering similar programs, it will become a citizenship norm for the Caribbean. And, of course, that will mean competition will develop.

 

With many countries to choose from, prices will need to drop. At some point, national leaders will seek to increase gross sales by lowering the sale price.

 

Although $400,000 is out of reach to most who dream of buying an alternate passport, there will be far more takers at $200,000 or even $100,000, but I believe the magic price point to be $50,000. At that price, hundreds of thousands of second-passport seekers will jump on board. Indeed, many will purchase passports from several islands. (If one backup passport is good, multiple backup passports are better.)

But, why are "bargain" passports not already available?

 

From my own experience, as a West Indian, this is due to the fact that our political leaders often fear a dramatic influx of new voters. They feel safer appealing to natives than outsiders and worry that the electorate balance may be upset and cost them their seats in future elections.

Yet, many West Indian countries already have laws that limit the rights of new citizens (with particular regard to the right to run for public office).

 

To date, none of these countries has figured out that citizenship without the right to vote is an easy solution. Once they twig onto this new category of citizenship, we may see a major drop in citizenship costs and a dramatic increase in the number of applicants.

At present, the passport schemes have attracted Russians, Canadians, Middle Easterners, Chinese and, increasingly, Americans.

 

At present, the US is the foremost objector to Citizenship by Investment, describing its purpose to be,

"to provide cover for financial crimes."

However, over one hundred other countries, including most of Europe, accept the passports and the US is very much in the minority here.

This is an issue to be watched closely. Historically, whenever governments have put the squeeze on their citizens' freedoms, citizens have reacted by trying to wriggle out.

 

The squeeze in many countries is presently at its zenith and many, many people are voting with their feet.

 

There will always be takers in the world when this occurs and, in the Caribbean, opportunities for increased freedom are very much on the increase.
 

 


Editor's Note:

 

A second passport is the ultimate insurance policy against an out-of-control government.

 

Think of it as your "freedom insurance." The rules on second passports can change quickly. This is why it's so important to have the most up-to-date, accurate, and actionable information out there.

Be sure to get the guide we just released on the The Easiest Way to a Second Passport.





 



 

 


How to Avoid...

Second Passport Scams and Traps
by Nick Giambruno

November 13, 2013

from CaseyResearch Website


 

 

 

 

 


It's a predictable reaction that a government in need of cash will turn to destructive measures, such as currency creation and increasing taxes and regulations.

Unfortunately, these are just hors d'oeuvres before a 10-course meal.

As they become increasingly desperate, governments around the world and throughout history always turn to more destructive policies, such as capital controls, price controls, people controls, official currency devaluations, wealth confiscations, retirement account nationalizations, and more.

The more a government's fiscal health declines, the more destructive its policies become. This is what political risk is all about. And it's no secret political risk is increasing in many parts of the world, particularly in the US, where welfare and warfare spending continues unabated.

This trend is triggering more interest in second passports as people look for ways to become less dependent on their home government. Naturally, this is also causing a surge in second passport scams and traps, which are not always easy to spot.

If and when you pursue a second passport, you absolutely want to make sure you're taking a legitimate route.

Unfortunately, obtaining a legitimate second passport is never simultaneously fast, easy, and inexpensive. But this does not make it any less necessary.

Some passport scams, such as the selling of alleged "diplomatic passports," are obvious. Others, involving grey market passports, are less obvious but similarly dangerous.

If you end up falling for a second passport scam or trap, it will likely cause significant problems and limit your options down the line. You want the opposite: minimal problems and more options.

My advice is to treat grey and black market passports (and the hucksters who peddle them) the same way you'd treat a random solicitation to wire money to some Nigerian you don't know:

run - don't walk.

 

 


What Are Grey and Black Market Passports?

Black market passports are unofficial, illegitimate documents.

 

They include passports,

  • stolen

  • cloned

  • counterfeit

Black market passports mainly show up in the world of organized crime and spy agencies. It's not impossible you'll run across a black market passport, but it isn't very likely.

Grey market passports, on the other hand, are far more common. They appear legitimate, which makes them even more dangerous to someone like you.

Grey market passports are official passports obtained in some way that skirts the normal legal requirements (usually bribing a local official). Usually, this involves someone's "special friend" in a foreign government who can help you get a passport faster and easier than you could otherwise.

Grey market passports often come from Bulgaria, Mexico, Paraguay, and Cambodia. There are legitimate ways to obtain second passports from these countries. But, if you do business with someone promoting these passports, be absolutely certain you meet the legal naturalization requirements.

No matter the country, you or those advising you should be able to point to specific naturalization laws with explicitly defined requirements that clearly spell out everything. This information is usually located on the local government's website or one of their consulate's or embassy's websites.

It's a major red flag if you can't verify this information with the local government. If someone makes claims that don't correspond with the explicit legal requirements, they're probably trying to sell you an illegitimate passport.

This is especially true when someone hypes a little-known economic citizenship program. While there are legitimate economic citizenship programs, they all have easily identifiable laws with specific costs that you can point to.

 

It's the ones without clear laws, where you can't find official information outlining the program and its costs, that you want to avoid.

Decades ago, you might have gotten by with a grey market passport. But now, with terrorism hysteria at a sustained fever pitch and governments linking up their passport databases, using a grey market passport is both foolish and dangerous.

 

 

 


The Costs Far Outweigh the Benefits

The potential troubles of a grey market passport far outweigh any potential benefits.

 

In the electronic age, when governments around the world have linked databases, it's extremely foolish to imagine you could get away with using an illegitimate passport indefinitely. And the consequences for trying are severe almost everywhere in the world.

Sure, a grey market passport might work for a while. But what happens when the issuing government discovers what happened, or when the "special friend" is busted?

Americans have another reason to avoid grey market passports: the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which makes bribing foreign government officials a criminal offense. This includes giving or offering "anything of value" to gain an "improper advantage."

Obtaining a passport by bribing a corrupt foreign official to help you skirt the normal naturalization requirements most likely violates the FCPA. That's not something I would want hanging over my head.

 

 

 


How to Detect Illegitimate Passport Offers

As with most things, when something about a second passport sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

 

Here are a few tips for fine-tuning your second passport BS detector:

The best way to detect a grey market passport offer is to independently verify the offer against the local government's specific and explicit naturalization requirements. If you can't do that, then it's almost always a grey market offer.

Today, the cheapest legitimate economic citizenship program costs about $100,000 per person plus tens of thousands of dollars in fees.

 

Even under the best circumstances, it takes at least a couple of months to process. Be wary of any economic citizenship program that's cheaper or faster. If it's significantly cheaper or faster, dismiss it out of hand.

Make sure you have up-to-date information. Naturalization requirements and options change frequently.

Besides the economic citizenship options, marrying a local, having ancestry in a country, or other shortcuts, it generally takes at least five years to become naturalized in most countries. There are countries that will naturalize you in less time, but not many.

In order to become naturalized, practically every country in the world requires a thorough application process, which usually involves a background check and spending some time in the country.

 

If the application process seems too easy, it should raise a red flag.
 

 

 


Giving Yourself More Options

The goal of international diversification is to increase your options in an uncertain world.

 

Falling for a grey or black market passport scheme is a sure path to fewer options… or worse.

 

You should avoid them and the people who promote them like the plague. Although there are schemes and a lot of bad advice out there, your need for a legitimate second passport and the political diversification that comes with it is only growing.

Most people have health, life, fire, and car insurance.

 

You hope you never have to use these insurance policies, but you have them anyway. They give you peace of mind and protect you if and when the worst does happen.

A second passport is the ultimate insurance policy against an out-of-control government. Think of it as your "freedom insurance." The rules on second passports can change quickly.

 

This is why it's so important to have the most up-to-date, accurate, and actionable information out there.