In December 2022, Andrew Tate was granted a golden passport from Vanuatu, having met the investment threshold of approximately $130,000 (£96,000). Following significant media scrutiny and public concern, Vanuatu officials are now poised to reassess his citizenship status.
Kiery Manassah, a spokesman for the Vanuatu government, stated to ABC News, "The government does not want to encourage people of questionable backgrounds to be granted citizenship." The initiative, originally intended to boost the country's economy, has faced backlash due to its exploitation by individuals with criminal backgrounds, prompting the European Union to revoke Vanuatu's visa-free privileges in late 2024.
Aubrey Belford, a Pacific lead editor at the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), emphasized the risks associated with passports-for-sale schemes that can enable evasion of law enforcement. Vanuatu, which lacks a formal extradition treaty with Romania, allowed Tate's citizenship amidst his pervasive online notoriety for misogynistic content and violent rhetoric towards women, amassing over 10 million followers on social media.
The Tate brothers, originally from the USA, have vehemently denied all allegations of wrongdoing. As legal proceedings continue in Romania, the UK is taking steps towards extraditing the brothers concerning charges from earlier years, spotlighting the ongoing legal battle that raises questions about their freedom and the implications of their citizenship in Vanuatu.
Kiery Manassah, a spokesman for the Vanuatu government, stated to ABC News, "The government does not want to encourage people of questionable backgrounds to be granted citizenship." The initiative, originally intended to boost the country's economy, has faced backlash due to its exploitation by individuals with criminal backgrounds, prompting the European Union to revoke Vanuatu's visa-free privileges in late 2024.
Aubrey Belford, a Pacific lead editor at the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), emphasized the risks associated with passports-for-sale schemes that can enable evasion of law enforcement. Vanuatu, which lacks a formal extradition treaty with Romania, allowed Tate's citizenship amidst his pervasive online notoriety for misogynistic content and violent rhetoric towards women, amassing over 10 million followers on social media.
The Tate brothers, originally from the USA, have vehemently denied all allegations of wrongdoing. As legal proceedings continue in Romania, the UK is taking steps towards extraditing the brothers concerning charges from earlier years, spotlighting the ongoing legal battle that raises questions about their freedom and the implications of their citizenship in Vanuatu.
