Chetcuti Cauchi Advocates is proud to participate in the 11th Biennial IBA Global Immigration Conference, taking place from 4th to 6th December 2024 in London, England. This premier event brings together immigration practitioners, tax advisors, and international legal professionals for insightful discussions and networking.
This prestigious conference will feature discussions on the latest developments in immigration and nationality law on a worldwide basis, including business-related immigration, family reunion policies, refugees and compassionate cases. The committee aims to provide a forum for the discussion of comparative data on immigration and nationality policies of countries worldwide.
Chetcuti on the State of Play of Citizenship & Residence by Investment
Friday, 6th December, 10:30 - 11:30
Dr. Jean-Philippe Chetcuti, will be a featured speaker in the second breakout session of this year’s event, on Friday, 6 December (10:30 - 11:30) entitled: "The state of play: Citizenship and Residence by Investment." This session will explore the evolving landscape of investor citizenship schemes, particularly in light of the European Court of Justice's recent hearing regarding the EU Commission's challenge to Malta’s Investor Immigrant Programme (IIP). The Advocate General’s Opinion, published in October, could significantly impact how countries approach the link between residence and investment when granting citizenship.
Managing Partner, Jean-Philippe Chetcuti specializes in global citizenship and residency programs, international tax, family office structuring, and trusts and estate planning. With over 20 years of experience, he has advised UHNWIs, family offices, and wealth managers worldwide. He heads the firm’s Private Client Tax and Immigration practices and has been instrumental in policy reform for investment migration programs globally. Recognized by multiple reputable publishers, Jean-Philippe frequently speaks at international conferences and contributes to leading industry publications.
With reference to the recent EU Attorney General Legal Opinion in EC vs Malta, Dr. Jean-Philippe Chetcuti explores the critical intersection of national sovereignty, legislative competence in citizenship law, and the internationally recognized requirement of a genuine link under European and international law- a cornerstone of how countries around the world evaluate citizenship obtained through investment.
The discussion will also cover the broader effects of the EU’s opposition to citizenship and residence by investment programmes, examining their impact on European countries, established Caribbean programmes, and the responses of banks and financial institutions. Finally, the panel will explore whether countries that have previously closed their investor programmes might consider reintroducing them in the future. Dr Chetcuti will join a distinguished panel of experts, including:
• Micha-Rose Emmett | CS Global Partners, London, England
• Troy Hanley | Henly & Partners, London, England
• Dr Csaba Magyar | Crystal Worldwide Law Firm, Budapest, Hungary
• Christopher Willis | Lattitude Limited, George Town, Cayman Islands
The session will be chaired by Sophie Barrett-Brown and Laura Devine of Laura Devine Immigration, London, England.
Key Immigration Topics
• Plenary session: a world on the move
• Trends in global mobility
• The AI dividend: how immigration lawyers can benefit from generative AI
• Offshoring, push-backs and walls: what does the right to asylum look like in 2024?
• Climbing back up the family tree – are you a citizen through ancestry?
• In conversation: law and literature
• The state of play: citizenship and residence by investment
• How to build a global practice
• Start-up nations: the global race to attract the technology entrepreneurs of the future
• North America immigration update
• The IBA immigration Olympics
Chetcuti Cauchi Lawyers at the Conference
Antoine Saliba Haig
Senior Associate, Co-Head of Immigration & Global Mobility Antoine Saliba Haig specializes in Maltese residency and citizenship law, with extensive experience advising on citizenship by investment, naturalization, descent, and marriage. His expertise is rooted in his doctoral thesis on Malta's citizenship laws. Antoine regularly speaks at international events and contributes to leading industry publications on investment migration.
Marina Magri
Co-Head of Immigration & Global Mobility, together with Antoine, Marina Magri leads the firm’s immigration arm, specializing in investment migration, residency, and global mobility solutions. With years of experience assisting high-net-worth families globally, Marina advises on immigration, compliance, and risk management. She frequently represents the firm at international conferences and seminars.
For more details about the conference, visit the IBA Immigration Conference page on the IBA website.
We look forward to connecting with peers and contributing to the dynamic conversations shaping the future of Global Immigration.
