Andrew Tate’s golden passport is under threat as the government of Vanuatu plans to revoke his citizenship.
According to BBC, Vanuatu authorities are looking to cancel self-described misogynist influencer Tate’s citizenship after finding that he acquired the golden passport at the same time when he was arrested in Romania in 2022 for rape and human trafficking.
As per an investigation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the former professional kickboxer got the citizenship under a fast-track scheme for people who invest at least $130,000 (£96,000) in Vanuatu.
The scheme later sparked security concerns, resulting in Vanuatu losing its visa-free privilege from the European Union in late 2024.
Aubrey Belford, Pacific lead editor at OCCRP, highlighted that investment schemes for citizenship or passport-for-sale are a source of income for countries like Vanuatu, but organised crime suspects, oligarchs and even intelligence agents were seen abusing these policies.
Belford asserted, “It's caused a lot of alarm because it's one of those loopholes that allows people to get a new passport or even a new identity and be able to evade law enforcement.”
Vanuatu ‘looking into’ Tate's citizenship:
A spokesperson for the Vanuatu government revealed that the authorities were "definitely looking into" Tate's citizenship.
Kiery Manassah told ABC News, “Once we have the files, definitely, the processes will be in place to revoke his citizenship.”
“The government does not want to encourage people of questionable backgrounds to be granted citizenship. Those who are wanted by their countries or who are investigated by police authorities from overseas are not welcome to be part of the citizens of Vanuatu," he added.
Vanuatu issued Tate citizenship in December 2022, the same time when he, along with his brother Tristan, was arrested in Romania for serious allegations, including rape. Since then, the Tate brothers have been under travel restrictions in the country.
