Legal Disappearance: How Some Fugitives Use Second Citizenship
VANCOUVER, B.C. — In an era of advanced surveillance, facial recognition at borders, and biometric databases that span continents, one ancient idea has resurfaced as a modern tool of evasion: citizenship.
More specifically, a second citizenship—lawfully acquired, globally mobile, and often obtained through government-sponsored programs. For some, this is a strategy for financial freedom or business mobility. For others, it is the foundation of a legal disappearance.
This press release examines how second citizenship programs, particularly those offered through citizenship-by-investment (CBI) schemes, enable fugitives and privacy seekers to live beyond their pasts.
Through exclusive case studies and legal insight from Amicus International Consulting, we reveal how legal nationality can shield individuals from extradition, reset biometric exposure, and delay international detection—all without falsifying a single document.
What Is Second Citizenship?
Second citizenship, or dual nationality, is the legal status of being a citizen of two (or more) countries simultaneously. This status may arise from:
CBI programs allow individuals to acquire citizenship in exchange for a financial contribution, typically ranging from $100,000 to over $2 million, depending on the country.
How Second Citizenship Enables Legal Disappearance
1. New Legal Identity
A second passport is not a forgery—it's government-issued identification, complete with a new national ID number, often a new place of birth, and sometimes even a new legal name.
This creates a legitimate identity not tied to prior warrants, restrictions, or surveillance databases.
2. Non-Extradition Benefits
Several countries that offer CBI do not extradite their citizens, especially for political, economic, or white-collar offences. Holding such citizenship provides a legal shield against deportation.
3. Banking and Financial Access
With a new passport, individuals can open bank accounts, establish businesses, or secure tax IDs that are not flagged by prior identities, provided that global compliance systems don't link the two.
4. Resetting Biometric Exposure
CBI programs may issue documentation without requiring biometric data that is cross-matched with INTERPOL, FBI, or Schengen databases, primarily if the applicant's country of origin does not provide data proactively.
Case Study 1: The Investor Who Became Invisible
In 2016, a South American financier under investigation for securities fraud in Argentina acquired a second passport from Antigua and Barbuda by donating to the national development fund.
Using the passport, he: Entered Europe through Schengen visa-free travel
Opened three offshore corporations in Malta and Seychelles
Acquired a new Tax Identification Number (TIN)
Rented properties under his new legal identity
For four years, he operated without arrest—not because of forgery or bribes, but because his new citizenship was entirely legal and unconnected to his old name.
Most Popular CBI Jurisdictions Country Investment Requirement Processing Time Extradition Policy St. Kitts & Nevis $250,000 donation or $400,000 real estate 3–6 months No extradition of citizens Dominica $100,000 donation 3 months Discretionary Vanuatu $130,000 donation 1–2 months Rare extraditions Turkey $400,000 real estate 6–9 months Extradition possible Antigua & Barbuda $100,000 donation 3–6 months Treaties honored case-by-case Grenada $150,000 donation 4–6 months Treaty bound with the U.S.
Amicus International: Legal, Ethical Second Citizenship Strategies
Amicus International Consulting offers second citizenship solutions for clients seeking privacy, mobility, and legal protection, not escape from criminal prosecution.
Amicus does not serve clients with active Red Notices, pending extraditions, or ongoing criminal trials. However, for clients: Escaping politically unstable regions
Facing unjust or nonviolent tax charges
Seeking protection from persecution
Rebuilding after trauma or asset seizure
…Amicus assists with transparent, compliant, and durable second citizenship applications.
Services Include: Risk Assessment Review of legal exposure in the client's current jurisdiction
Analysis of FATCA/CRS obligations under both citizenships Program Selection Matching desired outcomes (travel, banking, residency) to CBI country offerings
Assessing extradition treaties and geopolitical relationships Secure Application Handling End-to-end management with vetted legal firms in-country
Ensuring documentation is auditable and legally defensible Post-Citizenship Risk Management Structuring cross-border financial footprints
Creating robust audit narratives for compliance review
Disengaging gracefully from old identity without creating red flags
An Amicus employee noted:
'A second citizenship is not about hiding—it's about choosing a future. If done transparently and legally, it allows individuals to regain control, build stability, and live under laws that protect them.'
Case Study 2: Stateless Mother Gains Mobility
In 2019, a Syrian woman who had lost all identification and travel rights due to civil war obtained a CBI passport from Vanuatu with the help of Amicus.
Without breaking any laws, she was able to: Enroll her children in European schools
Open a digital wallet in the UAE
Travel without detention or secondary screening
This legal solution offered identity, dignity, and mobility, not evasion.
When Second Citizenship Becomes a Legal Gray Area
Dual Identity Misuse
Some fugitives maintain both identities actively, using one to conceal financial assets and the other for travel, thereby creating exposure if data leaks or biometric links occur.
Non-Disclosure Violations
Failing to disclose a second citizenship to tax or banking authorities may violate: FATCA (U.S. citizens)
CRS (OECD participating countries)
Know-Your-Customer (KYC) regulations
Blocklisting and Revocation
Some CBI programs now revoke citizenship if the applicant is later discovered to have: Lied on their application
Held active arrest warrants
Hidden financial information
Governments Responding with Reform
In response to the misuse of second citizenship, regulators have introduced: CBI blocklist lists shared via INTERPOL and Europol
shared via INTERPOL and Europol Mandatory biometric integration during the CBI application
during the CBI application Passport revocation powers exercised retroactively in Dominica and Cyprus
exercised retroactively in Dominica and Cyprus Global tax coordination via CRS 2.0, including beneficial owner mapping
Still, enforcement is uneven—CBI remains one of the few legal tools capable of resetting identity in a globalized world.
Case Study 3: From Flight to Reintegration
A Hong Kong-based entrepreneur faced political persecution after protesting national security laws in 2020. Labelled a dissident, his travel privileges were revoked. With Amicus support, he lawfully acquired Grenadian citizenship, relocated to Canada, and declared both identities transparently with banking institutions.
His status is entirely legal, and he is auditable, document-backed, and protected by international refugee standards.
Second Citizenship: Key Legal Takeaways It is legal to hold two nationalities, but transparency is critical
to hold two nationalities, but transparency is critical CBI passports offer real legal shields , especially when extradition laws protect nationals
, especially when extradition laws protect nationals Misuse of dual identities can result in revocation, arrest, or financial blocklisting
Second citizenship is most effective when combined with compliance, documentation, and honest disclosure
📞 Contact InformationPhone: +1 (604) 200-5402Email: info@amicusint.ca
Website: www.amicusint.ca
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