Vanuatu’s Citizenship Office has confirmed that the Citizenship Commission has not revoked Andrew Tate’s citizenship. The office says the evidence on file does not meet the statutory threshold for revocation, and Tate remains a Vanuatu citizen for now.
Current official position
- The Citizenship Office states the Commission “has not made a decision to revoke the grant of citizenship.”
- Records and recent due‑diligence information provide “insufficient evidence” to support revocation.
- Tate’s citizenship was granted on 15 December 2022, two weeks before Romanian authorities detained him in Bucharest.
- The office notes that the application was screened against Interpol, the Vanuatu Financial Intelligence Unit, immigration authorities and other mechanisms, and no adverse record was found at the time.
Legal framework for revocation
- Section 14(2) of the Citizenship Act – citizenship ends 30 days after a court finds the person obtained it through false representation, fraud or concealment.
- Section 16 (Part 4 of the Act) – allows deprivation of a naturalised citizen sentenced to imprisonment of ten years or more.
- The Commission’s public revocation page lists fraud, a grant contrary to the Act or Constitution, and post‑grant non‑compliance as grounds; the ten‑year‑sentence provision appears only in the Act itself.
A revocation can therefore proceed only if:
- A court determines the original application contained deliberate concealment, fraud or false representation, or
- The individual is sentenced to ten years or more in prison.
Recent media reports vs. official statements
| Source | Claim | Official response |
|---|---|---|
| ABC Pacific (Pacific Beat) – weekend report | Government spokesman confirmed Tate’s citizenship and passport had been revoked. | Citizenship Office says no decision has been made; the revocation process is still pending. |
| RNZ Pacific – follow‑up article | Reported revocation, quoting commission chair Glen Craig. | RNZ later added a note directing readers to the Office’s clarification that no revocation has occurred. |
| Vanuatu Daily Post (June 2025) | Stated that revocation could not proceed until allegations were proven in court. | Consistent with the current stance that no final decision has been reached. |
Ongoing process
- Daniel Agius, managing director of the Vanuatu Investment Migration Bureau, acknowledges that a formal procedure concerning Tate’s citizenship is still underway and expects a decision “relatively soon, potentially within the next week.”
- He described the ABC report as “somewhat premature” because the formal process had not yet concluded.
Summary of key points
- No revocation decision has been formally made by the Citizenship Commission.
- Evidence currently on file is deemed insufficient under the Citizenship Act.
- Revocation would require either a court finding of fraud/concealment or a ten‑year prison sentence—neither condition has been met to date.
- The process remains active, and a final determination is expected in the near term.
Source article: www.imidaily.com
