The Pacific island nation of Nauru is selling golden passports for 80,000 euros to fund the relocation of its population to higher ground. Climate change has created an increasingly serious situation on the small island, where most residents live in coastal areas facing alarmingly rapid sea level rises.
To protect its citizens, the government must move 90 percent of families to higher inland zones and rebuild infrastructure there as quickly as possible. However, the move faces major financial and environmental hurdles. The first phase of the relocation project alone is estimated to cost more than 60 million euros, while the island's interior has suffered severe damage from decades of intensive mining.
Citizenship Sale for Relocation
To raise the required funds, the state launched a passport sales program that allows foreign citizens to purchase citizenship in the country, which is now officially named the Republic of Naoero. The current price of around 80,000 euros reflects a temporary discount from the original tariff. Buyers of the citizenship gain access to more than 85 visa-free destinations.
