A path to new identitiesThe passports program, which netted the Vanuatu government more than US$116m last year, has been highly controversial since its relaunch in 2017. Sousa-Santos added that another potential danger was people obtaining Vanuatu citizenship and then legally changing their name in Vanuatu, which effectively gave them a new identity. The country’s passports program netted the government more than US$116m last year. Sarraj is just one of a number of prominent political figures who purchased Vanuatu citizenship. Abdul Rahman Khiti purchased Vanuatu citizenship just a few weeks after the US imposed sanctions on a number of his businesses.

Source: The Guardian July 14, 2021 23:03 UTC