Citizenship for sale: fugitives, politicians and disgraced businesspeople buying Vanuatu passports

[turbinetree]

?width=1020&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=95ef3e62cc1199cd24b0b2ab70b1e170

A controversial “golden passports” scheme run by the Pacific nation of Vanuatu saw more than 2,000 people, including a slew of disgraced businesspeople and individuals sought by police in countries all over the world, purchase citizenship in 2020 – and with it visa-free access to the EU and UK, the Guardian can reveal.

Among those granted citizenship through the country’s development support program were a Syrian businessman with US sanctions against his businesses, a suspected North Korean politician, an Italian businessman accused of extorting the Vatican, a former member of a notorious Australian motorcycle gang, and South African brothers accused of a $3.6bn cryptocurrency heist.

The passport scheme allows foreign nationals to purchase citizenship for US$130,000 in a process that typically takes just over a month – all without ever setting foot in the country.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/15/citizenship-for-sale-fugitives-politicians-and-disgraced-businesspeople-buying-vanuatu-passports

[Baked Potato]

2. I'll have to add that country to my T***p-in-exile-country guess list.

* Montenegro 🇲🇪
* Vietnam 🇻🇳
* Vanuatu 🇻🇺

[bahboo]

3. this could make a fun, trashy summer movie...