The Case For Citizenship by Investment Is Never Stronger Than During Times of Crisis

Michael B. Krakat argues that, during crises, apprehensions about RCBI tend to diminish, temporarily clearing the path for expansion.

Where RCBI laws are constitutionally valid, CBI programs, in particular, focus on the transactional, contractual aspects and legal nature of citizenship, and less on the collective political ‘social contract’. This is necessary as CBI laws grant substantive shortcuts or exceptional waivers to otherwise very lengthy naturalization requirements. Critics of CBI often do not address the law but the politics of CBI, addressing the identity side of citizenship, followed by arguments as to commodification, which are, after all, political concerns.