Andrew Tate is set to keep his Vanuatu passport following a government check that found no issues with his citizenship acquisition. This decision confirms his continued status as a citizen of the South Pacific nation, despite ongoing criminal investigations in other parts of the world. The government’s review specifically focused on the procedures followed during his application.
Kiery Manassah, a spokesperson for the Vanuatu government, confirmed that the citizenship office reviewed Tate’s application and found that he had been cleared by Interpol and the UK at the time his citizenship was granted. This initial compliance with international security checks is why no fault is being found with the original process.
Manassah acknowledged that had the government been aware of the current allegations against Tate during his application, he would not have been granted citizenship. 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 stressed the legal constraints on revoking citizenship based on information that emerged post-approval.
This incident has prompted Vanuatu to intensify its efforts to reform its citizenship program. The government is committed to implementing enhanced due diligence processes to prevent similar controversies and to improve the program’s reputation, which has faced scrutiny for its past approvals.