Vanuatu states Andrew Tate’s citizenship was valid at the time it was granted, preventing immediate revocation. This declaration from the government signifies that, based on their review, the legal process of granting him citizenship was followed correctly according to the regulations in place when he applied. This position underpins their decision not to revoke his status.
Government spokesperson Kiery Manassah explained that the citizenship office’s review confirmed Tate had received clearances from Interpol and the UK at the moment his citizenship was approved. This compliance with established international checks during the initial vetting process validates the original grant.
Manassah conceded that if the government had been fully aware of the allegations against Tate when he first applied, the outcome would have been different. He stated, “If the government had been aware of this at the start, and our processes were working, we should have not allowed him in the first place.” However, he underscored the legal constraint on retroactively revoking citizenship based on information discovered later.
In light of this situation, Vanuatu’s government is actively pursuing reforms to its citizenship-by-investment program. Manassah confirmed that new regulations are being signed off to strengthen due diligence, aiming to prevent similar incidents and to improve the program’s “very bad reputation overseas.”
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