GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AFP) – Caribbean island nations on Wednesday discussed boosting security to ensure terrorists and other criminals do not gain citizenship by posing as investors.

Grenada's Prime Minister Keith Mitchell said that although the island's citizenship-by-investment program has provided a major source of revenue, the government is not prepared to sacrifice its national security.

"We have to come to terms with that, that in this global terrorism atmosphere that we are now dealing with, we have to be extremely careful that one incident, one person being allowed in our region can in fact create havoc," he told reporters at a Caribbean leaders' annual summit being held in Guyana, where the topic has been under discussion.

Having tightened its screening process, Grenada has rejected even some applicants approved by international partners based on anecdotal information, he added.