Investment Migration: “We need more, not less immigration of people who contribute positively to society”

Henley & Partners Chairman Dr. Christian H. Kaelin says the significant worldwide expansion of investment migration, by which affluent individuals invest in other countries to acquire residence or citizenship, is simply unstoppable. Speaking at The World Ahead Gala Dinner hosted by The Economist in Athens last week, Dr. Kaelin stated that all over the world, countries have realized the importance of granting residence and citizenship to attract much-needed foreign direct investment, debt-free capital, talented entrepreneurs, and experienced investors.

Dr. Kaelin, who is widely considered the pioneer of and one of the world’s foremost experts in investment migration, shared the stage with Ireland’s Minister for Finance and President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, and Greece’s Minister of Finance, Christos Staikouras, at the annual event to discuss the year ahead with government and business leaders.

Further accelerated by the need to alleviate the financial distress across the world following the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Kaelin pointed out that more and more countries are offering investment migration programs or introducing new options in order to attract highly sought-after talent and capital to support their economies and strengthen their ‘sovereign equity’. Dr. Kaelin coined the term ‘sovereign equity’ in 2019 in Davos to describe how investment migration has the ability to endow nations with sustainable investments in a relatively short time frame without them having to increase debt and thereby burden future generations — while gaining highly qualified and experienced entrepreneurs and investors as new residents or even citizens.

Dr. Kaelin stressed that, particularly in Europe, there is also a pressing need to introduce far more positive migration policies to manage the global refugee crisis constructively while also attracting international investors and talent. He acknowledged that although politically challenging, it also presents a tremendous opportunity for the EU. “We need more, not less immigration of people who contribute positively to society,” he told the audience.

-Ends-

Notes to Editors

About Henley & Partners

Henley & Partners is the global leader in residence and citizenship planning. Each year, hundreds of wealthy individuals and their advisors rely on our expertise and experience in this area. The firm’s highly qualified professionals work together as one team in over 30 offices worldwide.

The concept of residence and citizenship planning was created by Henley & Partners in the 1990s. As globalization has expanded, residence and citizenship have become topics of significant interest among the increasing number of internationally mobile entrepreneurs and investors whom we proudly serve every day.

The firm also runs a leading government advisory practice that has raised more than USD 10 billion in foreign direct investment. Trusted by governments, the firm has been involved in strategic consulting and in the design, set-up, and operation of the world’s most successful residence and citizenship programs.

Media Contact

For further information, please contact:

Sarah Nicklin
Group Head of Public Relations
sarah.nicklin@henleyglobal.com
Mobile: +27 72 464 8965