by Linda Straker
- On 24 and 25 July, Parliament approved 2 bills
- 31 July notice in Government Gazette informed Governor-General had assent to bills
- Successful applicants to CBI programme required to recite new oath of allegiance or affirmation
The Investment Migration Agency (IMA) has officially advised all those involved in the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme that successful applicants to the programme are now required to recite the new Oath of Allegiance or Affirmation of Allegiance to Grenada, and not to His Majesty, King Charles the third, his heirs and successors.
In a circular dated 26 August, the IMA said that all applicants after 1 August would have to use the amended oath, which must be endorsed by the officer issuing the certification of naturalisation registration.
On 24 and 25 July, the Lower and Upper Houses respectively approved The Constitution (Oath of Allegiance (Amendment) (No. 1) Act, 2025 and The Constitution (Oath of Allegiance) (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 2025. A notice in the 31 July Government Gazette informed the general public that Governor-General Dame Cecile La Grenade had assent to the bills. As of 1 August 2025, anyone taking the Oath of Allegiance or Affirmation of Allegiance is required to take the Oath of Allegiance and Affirmation of Allegiance to Grenada.
For those taking the affirmation of allegiance, the oath will be, “I (name of the person) do solemnly affirm and declare that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Grenada according to law, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Grenada and fulfill my duties as a citizen of Grenada.”
For those taking the oath of allegiance, they will repeat the following: “I (name of the person) swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Grenada according to law and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Grenada and fulfil my duties as a citizen of Grenada.”
The bills instruct that all state officials are expected to retake their oath within 12 hours immediately following the commencement of 1 August or within 7 days immediately following the commencement of the appointed day.
It went from being oth of alliance to a person, King Charles, to oth of alliance to a piece of rock. How do you provide accountabiliy to a piece of rock? This is first class wisdom! Why wasn’t it changed to oth to Grenadians?
As a Christian nation, our allegiance is first to God and then to country. At the same time, we must uphold respect for the religious freedoms of others (even if we don’t agree with them). An oath to the Grenadian public, while symbolic, is not sufficient and should not be the sole focus. What requires greater scrutiny is the source of citizenship applications, particularly from countries where ideologies and agendas may be incompatible with the values of our nation.
With the increasing evidence of covert operations aimed at stoking racial tensions in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, I sincerely hope that Grenada and the wider Caribbean exercise the utmost diligence in determining who is allowed entry to our islands. Traditional background checks are often insufficient, as they rarely expose individuals who harbor extremist or racist ideologies. While much international focus is placed on terrorism in the UK, US, and EU, far less attention is given to the destabilizing and deeply harmful consequences of efforts to incite racial division.
Our governments must prioritize the protection and well-being of our citizens, both at home and abroad, by addressing these threats with the seriousness they deserve. Safeguarding social cohesion and national security requires not only vigilance at our borders but also an unwavering commitment to protecting our people from imported hostilities and divisive agendas.