No Plans to Revoke Andrew Tate’s Vanuatu Citizenship, Says Government

The Vanuatu government has firmly stated it has no current plans to revoke Andrew Tate’s citizenship, a decision announced after a comprehensive review of his application documents. This comes as a surprise to many, especially following recent reports on the timing of his citizenship grant in relation to his arrest and ongoing legal issues. The government’s position appears to prioritize adherence to past legal procedures over present controversies.
Kiery Manassah, a government spokesperson, clarified that the review by the citizenship office concluded that Tate’s documents were in order when he was naturalized. Crucially, he had received the necessary clearances from Interpol and the UK at that time, validating the original decision to grant him citizenship. This historical compliance, Manassah argued, makes it difficult to retroactively alter his citizenship status.
Manassah admitted that the government regrets not being fully informed of the allegations against Tate when he first applied, acknowledging that he would not have been granted citizenship under those circumstances. However, he stressed the inability to retroactively undo a lawful decision based on later-emerging information, emphasizing the legal complexities involved in such matters.
The controversy has reignited discussions about the integrity of Vanuatu’s citizenship-by-investment scheme. In response, the government has vowed to enhance its due diligence processes to prevent future instances of individuals with problematic backgrounds from acquiring citizenship, aiming to improve the program’s international standing and reputation for thorough vetting.