Vanuatu’s decision is final: Andrew Tate remains a citizen, despite recent controversies and widespread public interest in his legal entanglements. This definitive announcement from the government follows an internal review, which concluded that his acquisition of citizenship was compliant with the laws in place at the time of application. The government’s stance prioritizes the validity of the initial grant.
Government spokesperson Kiery Manassah explained that the citizenship office’s review confirmed that Tate had received clearances from Interpol and the UK when his citizenship was granted. This adherence to established international checks during the initial vetting process validates the original grant and provides no immediate grounds for revocation.
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 expressed regret for this oversight but stressed that current laws do not allow for the arbitrary revocation of citizenship based on information that emerged after the fact.
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” by implementing more stringent vetting procedures.
