Vanuatu PM Jotham Napat has directed the Citizenship Commission to revoke Lalit Modi’s passport, citing Interpol’s rejection of India’s request for an alert due to insufficient evidence.

“I have instructed the Citizenship Commission to immediately initiate proceedings to cancel Mr. Modi’s Vanuatu passport,” Napat stated.

He explained that while standard background checks, including Interpol screenings, found no criminal convictions at the time of Modi’s application, he was recently informed that Interpol had twice rejected India’s requests for an alert due to a lack of substantive judicial evidence. Had such an alert been issued, Modi’s citizenship application would have been automatically denied.

Napat emphasized that Vanuatu citizenship is a privilege, not a right and that legitimate reasons must justify an application. “None of those legitimate reasons include evading extradition, which recent revelations indicate was Mr. Modi’s intention,” he added.

In recent years, Vanuatu has tightened its due diligence process for its citizenship-by-investment program, leading to increased scrutiny and higher rejection rates. The updated process involves triple-agency checks, including verification through Interpol, Napat’s statement noted.

Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific, consists of 83 islands, 65 of which are inhabited. Located east of Australia and north of New Zealand, its capital, Port Vila, is on Efate Island. The country’s national language is Bislama, with English and French as official languages.