Prime Minister Jotham Napat told Parliament yesterday that the amendment to the Citizenship Act aims to make the program fully independent and free from political influence.

He said many political leaders have interfered in the decision-making of the Citizenship Office, and the new amendment seeks to address that issue.

Speaking during the second extraordinary sitting, Prime Minister Napat said, “While government maintains overall policy direction, the citizenship program must be independent. Recently, some members of this Honourable House have threatened staff of the Citizenship Program, and that’s why we want this amendment — to ensure no political interference.”

The Citizenship Amendment Act No. of 2025 passed with 36 votes in favour and 10 abstentions, all from the Opposition.

Opposition Leader Ishmael Kalsakau said they support the idea of independence for the Citizenship Office but believe there are other areas that allows room for a Prime Minister to influence decisions. “The intention is good,” he said, “but there are still areas where political control remains. If we want real independence, the law must be clear and complete.”

Responding, Prime Minister Napat said the government has taken note of the discussions and will continue to strengthen other areas of the program.

Member of Parliament for Malo/Aore, Allan Liki, a former Secretary General of the Citizenship Commission, also said there has been too much political interference in the past. He agreed the amendment is a good step but added that “the policy itself must also be completed to make the program more effective.”

The Citizenship Program is one of Vanuatu’s biggest revenue sources. In the first eight months of this year alone, it collected around 14 billion vatu, surpassing the annual target of 7 billion vatu.

Under the program, there are 11 Capital Investment Immigration Plan Agents and 55 Development Support Program Agents.

Prime Minister Napat said the strong revenue performance shows the program’s success and that the new amendments will help increase transparency, ensure fairness, and protect Vanuatu’s reputation by preventing people with criminal records or those on Interpol Red Alerts from gaining citizenship.

All agents assisting with applications will now be required to register and follow stricter procedures.