SYDNEY, Feb 26 (V7N) — The Pacific island nation of Nauru has launched a "golden passport" scheme, selling citizenship for $105,000 to fund its retreat from rising sea levels, President David Adeang told AFP on Tuesday.

With existing climate financing running dry, Nauru plans to use passport sales to finance a mass inland relocation, as rising waters eat away at its fertile coastal lands.

"This is about more than survival," Adeang said. "It is about ensuring future generations have a safe, resilient, and sustainable home."

Nauru, a tiny island nation of 13,000 residents, sits on a phosphate rock plateau in the South Pacific. Once among the world's wealthiest nations per capita due to its pure phosphate deposits, Nauru is now struggling with the legacy of over-mining—80% of its land is uninhabitable.

Adding to the crisis, sea levels around Nauru are rising 1.5 times faster than the global average, according to scientists.

With traditional climate aid and debt financing insufficient, Nauru officials say their Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program offers a new way to secure funding.

The government expects to raise $5.7 million in its first year, selling about 66 passports, and aims to increase revenue to $43 million annually—nearly 20% of total government income.

Nauru's passport grants visa-free access to 89 countries, including the UK, Ireland, the UAE, and Hong Kong.

"Developing climate-vulnerable countries are disproportionately impacted by climate change," said Edward Clark, head of the programme. "There is therefore an urgent need to ensure they disproportionately benefit from climate innovation."

Despite its promise, similar schemes in the Pacific have raised concerns about security risks.

Nauru’s previous passport-selling initiative in 2003 ended in scandal, with citizenships granted to Al-Qaeda members, who were later arrested in Asia.

Henrietta McNeill, an expert at the Australian National University, warned that such programmes can be exploited for money laundering, visa fraud, or criminal evasion.

However, Clark insisted that this time, Nauru would implement “the strictest and most thorough due diligence procedures”, offering passports only to “like-minded investors”.

"This programme isn't just about acquiring another passport," he said. "It's about joining a community dedicated to pioneering solutions for global challenges."

END/WD/RH/