Nauru, a small island nation covering only 20 square kilometers in the southwestern Pacific Ocean near Papua New Guinea, is offering citizenship for sale. This low-lying island has introduced a “golden passport” program aimed at generating funds to support climate action initiatives.
The world’s third smallest country is short of funds to protect itself from rising sea levels, storm surges, and coastal erosion as the planet warms.
The government has initiated a program to sell citizenship for $105,000 (more than ₹91.44 lakh) for each passport. Officials state that the revenue generated will be utilized to relocate all 12,500 citizens to elevated areas and to establish a completely new community.
The withdrawal of the United States from international climate initiatives may further increase the financial needs of developing nations to safeguard their populations against the impacts of global warming.
Reports indicate that stringent vetting criteria will be implemented, guaranteeing that only those investors who share Nauru’s values and successfully complete thorough background investigations will be granted citizenship.
Individuals with specific criminal backgrounds will be prohibited from obtaining citizenship in order to minimize the risk of the program being misused for illicit purposes.
Acquiring citizenship in Nauru grants the passport holder visa-free entry to 89 countries, which includes destinations such as the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.
The initiative, which was introduced last year, has started to receive applications, with officials targeting 66 successful candidates this year and a cumulative total of 500 in the future. The revenue generated, estimated at around Euro 50 million (INR 453 crore), is expected to contribute nearly 20 percent of the national government’s income and will primarily finance the relocation project.
Many of the new passport holders may never set foot in the distant island of Nauru, yet they still obtain citizenship.
Phosphate mining in Nauru, which began in the early 1900s, has rendered approximately 80% of the island uninhabitable. Consequently, the majority of the population resides along the coast, where they are vulnerable to rising sea levels that are increasing at a rate surpassing the global average.
The government projects that the relocation of its citizens and the creation of a new sustainable community will necessitate an investment of around INR 545 crore.
As phosphate reserves dwindled, Nauru sought alternative sources of income. Since the early 2000s, the island has functioned as an offshore detention center for refugees and migrants seeking to enter Australia, although this program has been reduced following incidents of detainee fatalities.
As climate change intensifies and the island’s resources become increasingly scarce, Nauru’s golden passport initiative is viewed as a crucial strategy to ensure a sustainable future for its inhabitants.
The effectiveness of this bold plan in generating essential funding while upholding stringent security measures is yet to be determined. In the meantime, the island nation is relying on international investors to navigate the impending environmental challenges.