An IMGW.News Report:
The European Union has decided to reinstate the visa requirement for citizens of Vanuatu, citing grave security deficiencies and vulnerabilities in the bilateral agreement that had abolished visa requirements. Vanuatu’s citizenship policies, particularly its investor programmes, have triggered apprehensions about irregular immigration and security threats to EU interests.
Brussels has taken note of Vanuatu’s practice of granting citizenship to citizens of non-EU nations. This acquisition of citizenship grants them the privilege of entering and residing freely in the EU under the visa-free agreement. Since 2015, authorities in Vanuatu have initiated “investor citizenship programmes” enabling nationals from visa-required third countries to effortlessly acquire Vanuatu citizenship and passports. This facilitates their visa-free access to the EU, effectively circumventing the Schengen visa process.
This practice appears deliberate, as these special programmes lack specific minimum residency requirements on any of the 65 inhabited islands of the Melanesian archipelago. Moreover, the application process is overseen by specialised agencies outside Vanuatu, with the Commission explicitly mentioning Dubai (UAE), Thailand, and Malaysia.
Of particular concern in this milieu of “easy documentation” is the laxity in legislation regarding name changes, whereby successful citizenship-by-investment applicants can also petition for an identity alteration.
The beneficiaries of Vanuatu passports predominantly comprise Chinese, Russian, Iranian, Nigerian, Syrian, and Iraqi nationals. The EU apprehends that this remote Oceania state could serve as a “Trojan horse” for potential espionage activities and the infiltration of Islamic extremists. “We utilise the visa suspension mechanism to effectively counter security threats,” remarked Ylva Johannson, Commissioner for Home Affairs, as reported by EuNews.it (31.05.24). Vanuatu already features on the EU blacklist of uncooperative countries in the fight against tax evasion. Now, the chapter of “easy passports” adds another layer of concern.
The decision to reimpose the visa requirement for Vanuatu citizens underscores the EU’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding its borders and internal security against the looming threats posed by relaxed citizenship policies and irregular immigration flows.
Vanuatu’s EU Challenges Are Not Unfamiliar
Vanuatu’s association with the European Union concerning visa waivers has been fraught with hurdles, notably surrounding its Citizenship by Investment programmes. In a preceding instance, the Council opted to partially suspend the visa waiver agreement with Vanuatu due to the risks emanating from these programmes.
This suspension, previously announced, targeted citizens of Vanuatu holding ordinary passports issued since 25th May 2015, coinciding with the inception of the Vanuatu investment citizenship programmes. These citizens would now necessitate a visa for travel to the EU. The decision stemmed from vigilant monitoring and evaluation of Vanuatu’s investor citizenship programmes, which were found to harbour significant deficiencies posing risks to the EU.
Among the apprehensions were the exceptionally low rejection rate, casting doubts on the reliability of security and due diligence screening, alongside the absence of physical residency requirements, abbreviated processing periods, and the dearth of information exchange with the countries of origin or residence of applicants. Furthermore, the grant of citizenship to individuals listed in Interpol databases raised additional red flags. Notably, successful applicants hailed from countries whose nationals require a visa to enter the EU.
The decision to partially suspend the visa waiver agreement was not taken lightly. Despite admonitions and deliberations dating back to 2017, Vanuatu persisted in establishing additional investor citizenship programmes, prompting the Commission to advocate for the partial suspension in January 2022. This stance reflected the EU’s firm conviction that the investor programmes contravened the objectives of its visa policy.
An investigation run by The Guardian in 2022, revealed that over 2,000 individuals, including those sought by police, had purchased Vanuatu passports, granting them visa-free access to the EU and UK. This controversial Citizesnhip by Investment programme, part of Vanuatu’s development support initiative, allowed foreign nationals to buy citizenship for $130,000 without visiting the country. Notable recipients included:
1. Raees and Ameer Cajee – Founders of cryptocurrency platform Africrypt, accused of a $3.6 billion Bitcoin heist.
2. Gianluigi Torz* – Italian businessman accused of extorting Vatican officials during a property purchase.
3. Hayyam Garipoglu – Turkish banking mogul involved in a multimillion-dollar embezzlement scandal.
4. Ghali Belkecir – Former head of Algeria’s Gendarmerie, with four arrest warrants.
5. Khaled al-Ahmad – Syrian businessman and advisor to President Assad.
6. Alaa Ibrahim – Former Syrian governor of Damascus countryside.
7. Vinay Mishra – Former Indian politician facing corruption allegations.
8. Abdul Rahman Khiti – Syrian construction magnate with US sanctions against his businesses.
9. Harry Zhou Xiang Huang – Named as a new citizen of Vanuatu in 2020.
The programme, marketed as fast and lax, raised security concerns due to its potential exploitation by criminal syndicates for money laundering and trafficking. Despite Vanuatu’s pledge to enhance background checks, passports were sold to individuals linked to fraud and sanctions. The initiative, which brought Vanuatu over $116 million in 2020, was the country’s largest revenue source, vital for its debt-ridden economy. However, critics argued it undermined Vanuatu’s sovereignty and advocated for stricter applicant screening processes.
The Guardian’s investigation highlighted significant lapses in the due diligence process. Vanuatu sold passports to individuals with questionable backgrounds, raising alarm over national and international security implications.
Vanuatu’s persistent entanglement in such practices underscores the hurdles confronted by the EU in upholding the integrity of its visa waiver agreements and addressing the security risks posed by investor citizenship programmes.