Will the global market for investor citizenship survive COVID-19?

Abstract

The last few months saw a major disruption of all aspects of human lives caused by the novel coronavirus. Human movement within and across geographical spaces is at its lowest in a century, our consumer habits are undergoing tectonic changes, and our lifestyles are adapting to living in fight-or-flight mode. Social, political, and economic challenges that will ensue are real, and we see that crucial aspects of citizenship as the relationship between individuals and the state are changing amidst the global epidemic. The choices which states face about whom to let in, whom to rescue and whom to give healthcare and social rights are just some of the many questions that these strange and difficult times have raised. Answers to these questions, combined with changes in consumption and lifestyle choices will determine the post-pandemic fate of the global market for investor citizenship. Will the sale of passports die out as a result of decreased mobility and new economic realities, or will the industry successfully thrive on the virus, advertising ‘pandemic’ passports as risk insurance?