EU sacks Vanuatu from visa-free waiver agreement due to lack of security

The European Council removed Vanuatu from its visa-waiver list, accepting the recommendation of the EU Commission submitted in January 2022.

Friday, 4th March 2022

Vanuatu kicked out from EU's visa free waiver list

Accepting the recommendations of the EU Commission submitted in January 2022, the European Council has removed Vanuatu from its visa-waiver list, a. According to the European Council Press Release, Vanuatu’s visa-free agreement is partially suspended due to risks posed by its investor citizenship scheme (known as golden passport). The suspension will take effect after two months of the decision. The European Council suspended visa-free entry to the EU on all Vanuatu passports issued since 25 May 2015 with countries. Now, the passport holders will require a visa to enter Schengen Territory. It is clear that the unstable government failed to take concrete decisions to safeguard its bread earner programme. More than 50% of Vanuatu’s economy is dependent on the economic citizenship Programme, which will face a significant downfall for the public exchequer. Sydney-based media organisation Cronulla News reported that the UK might also remove Vanuatu from its visa waiver list due to lack of security and due diligence in a few months. Cronulla News quoted a person associated with the Citizenship Commission of Vanuatu, stating that the failure is credited to the lack of efforts by the government. It was said that ego issues of Advocate General and Finance Minister had halted the efforts to secure the programme in due time. The suspension comes after the incompetent handling of the investor citizenship scheme by the Vanuatu government. The suspension is expected to create a massive economic crisis in Vanuatu, as the economy highly relied on the investor citizenship scheme to generate support. Followings reasons were mentioned by the European Council while ordering the suspension:

Shallow rate of application rejection
Very short application time
No residency requirements
Lack in information exchange
Granting citizenship to people flagged in the INTERPOL list
Nationalities of origin of successful applicants, which include several countries whose nationals require a visa to enter the EU

Cronulla News reported that despite being red-flagged by the European Commission in January 2022, the government still failed to vet all the applicants granted citizenship since 2015 thoroughly. Not only that, but despite massive outcry by the public to rescue the CBI, Prime Minister Bob Laughman avoided the agreement with an independent international firm. He formed a government led special task unit which failed to scrutinise the applicants. Cronulla News, quoting its sources in the Citizenship Commission of Vanuatu, reported that the government took no solid reasons to ensure thorough due diligence. Sources said that the government could have taken a natural step instead of tumbling on the suggestions of the Attorney General or the ministers.