SUB-REGIONAL OVERVIEW: THE PACIFIC citizenship of Tuvalu due to the existing citizenship loss provisions.1841 Section 7(6) of the Citizenship Act provides that a naturalized citizen may be deprived of Tuvalu citizenship if they do not comply with certain requirements of naturalization, SUB-REGIONAL OVERVIEW: THE PACIFIC including remaining financially self-supporting.1842 In the event of climate-induced relocation, the ability to maintain financial self-sufficiency may be reduced, making the naturalized citizen vulnerable to deprivation of citizenship Vanuatu Laws Citizenship Law Jus sanguinis provisions The main legislative documents for citizenship in Vanuatu are the 1980 Constitution of the Republic of Vanuatu and the 1980 Citizenship Act of the Republic of Vanuatu.1843 Vanuatuan citizenship laws operate through a jus sanguinis structure.1844 Regardless of birthplace, a child born to at least one parent who is a citizen of Vanuatu will be a citizen according to Article 11 of the Constitution.1845 According to Article 9(b) of the Constitution, a stateless person with Ni-Vanuatu (indigenous) ancestry will automatically be a citizen of Vanuatu.1846 There are currently no legal provisions regarding citizenship eligibility for foundlings.1847 In 2014, Vanuatu amended their citizenship laws to remove gender discriminatory provisions which limited the ability of women to pass on their nationality to foreign spouses.1848 There is no definition of a stateless person included in Vanuatu’s national legislation. Further, the Citizenship Act does not explicitly mention stateless persons. Vanuatuan citizenship laws operate through a jus sanguinis structure. Regardless of birthplace, a child born to at least one parent who is a citizen of Vanuatu will be a citizen according to Article 11 of the Constitution. In 2014, Vanuatu amended their citizenship laws to remove gender discriminatory provisions which limited the ability of women to pass on their nationality to foreign spouses. Naturalized citizenship Stateless persons are eligible to apply for naturalization on the same basis as other persons not of Vanuatu descent as laid out in Article 12 of the Constitution.1849 Article 12 of the Citizenship Act lays out further details of the naturalization application process.1850 In order to be eligible, the applicant must be 18 years of age, have lived in the country for the last 10 years, have good character, be fluent in “Bislama, English, French or another 166 STATELESSNESS ENCYCLOPEDIA ASIA PACIFIC (DETAILED VERSION) REPORT 2024 167