EU raises security concerns as it reveals five Caribbean states have sold 88,000 ‘golden passports’

Dominica, an island with a population of just over 70,000, has issued 34,500 passports, the European Commission said. Photograph: gydyt0jas/Getty Images/iStockphoto

The EU has raised security concerns about the trade in “golden passports” and vowed to tighten visa controls after revealing five Caribbean states have sold citizenship to 88,000 individuals from countries including Iran, Russia and China.

A report published by the European Commission on Wednesday sets out for the first time the true scale of the Caribbean passport trade. A number of countries sell citizenship to foreign nationals, with prices starting at $100,000 (£82,326) a head.