Passports

They have until March 3 next year to satisfy EU requirements.

Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau has just returned from Brussels where he met EU officials to discuss the issues surrounding Vanuatu's visa waiver suspension.

Vanuatu's current visa waiver by the EU was due to be cancelled on February 14, after EU fears Vanuatu's citizenship programme could let terrorists and criminals in.

The EU Commissioner of Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, has said Vanuatu needs to provide higher security scrutiny and an added buffer in its citizenship applications screening process.

An Australia based media organization Cronullanews.Sydney released a detailed interview with a person currently working as an official in the government. 

Cronulla News stated that following the EU Commission’s proposal to terminate the visa-waiver agreement with the European Union, Vanuatu’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Program is on the verge of collapsing. It added that the continuous squabble within the government is a significant impediment to the actions.

 Since August, the office has experienced a shortage and were not able to print new booklets.

 Director of the Department of Immigration, Jeffery Markson explained that the booklets have already been dispatched from the factory in Hungary on 21 August, and were expected to arrive in Vanuatu last week.

 The issue of cargo flights being reduced from two flights to one made it difficult for the booklets to arrive as expected, according to director Markson. The Passport booklets have been stuck in Australia since last week.

It comes after The Guardian revealed last month the identities of some of the people who've gained Vanuatu citizenship through the controversial program including fugitives, politicians, disgraced business people from across the world, including Australia.

Commission chair Ronald Warsal said Syrian businessman Abdul Rhaman Khiti had his citizenship approval revoked last week after investigators found out the US government had placed sanctions against his businesses.

The order will give power to the Immigration office to issue the new stamp on new passports obtained by people under the citizenship investment programme.

Director General of Internal Affairs, Cherol Ala said the order has been in the works since 2020 as the Ministry of Internal Affairs had anticipated that the world would react questioningly towards the integrity of Vanuatu Passports.

The order addresses Vanuatu’s sovereignty issues when it comes to passports.