The new citizens are from India, the Philippines, Tonga, China and Europe and have qualified either through marriage or residency and have satisfied the legal requirements to become Samoan citizens.<\/p>\n
It is the first swearing in ceremony since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the delay in processing of applicants has taken longer.<\/p>\n
In welcoming and congratulating the new citizens, Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa said, \u201cAs citizens of our country, it reflects your commitments, loyalty and devotion to serve Samoa and her people.\u201d<\/p>\n
She told them that Samoan citizenship\u00a0is dear to the Samoan people because it is their identity that comes with the freedom to live harmoniously and peacefully with families and friends.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it comes with the responsibility to care, love, law abiding, respect for others and to use God-given talents, wisdom and knowledge and to work together for the common good of Samoa. Today you have been entrusted with that responsibility as citizens of Samoa,\u201d said Fiame.<\/p>\n
![\"citizen](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/talamua.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/citizen-all.jpg?resize=740%2C330&ssl=1\")
Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa with the 39 new Samoan citizens and staff of the Immigration Office after the swearing-in ceremony.<\/p><\/div>\n
The new Samoan citizenship holders include the following families and individuals:
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Vijay Bansidnar Jashnani, Tanya Vijay Jashnani and Dhrus Vijay Jashnani
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Bank Cao Ni, Chendi Ni and Yabrong Ni,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Fereidoun Yasdani and Yassamin Yasdani,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Shuping Chen and Yanming Chen
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Francoise Jeanmaire Jenzen and Urs Weiner Jenzen
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Amir Shahzad, Anam Zulfiqar Amir-Shahzad, Faryal Amir Shahzad, Muhammed Rayan Amir Shahzad and Anaya Amir Shahzad.
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Albina Meredith,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Alfred John Cowley,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Anau Folola Tuvale,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Chunchao Xue,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Denis Charles Cusack,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Marieiosefo Munivai Mora-Isara,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Melody Aguilar Arevalo,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mohammed Fakruzzaman Talukder,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Richard Gibson,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Sharon Michelle Winter,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Gavin Douglas Brightwell,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Jossie Aloaina,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paul Graeme Johnson,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Peter James Reid,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Zepeng Wu,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Qiongxiu Zeng,
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Raphel Semel and
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Raymie Snow<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Lagi Keresoma\/ Apia, Samoa \u2013 28 April 2025 \u2013 Thirty-nine (39) new Samoan citizens were sworn in and received their Samoan passports last Thursday. The new citizens are from India, the Philippines, Tonga, China and Europe and have qualified either through marriage or residency and have satisfied the legal requirements to become Samoan citizens. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38816,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[186,185],"tags":[59,5051,5052],"class_list":["post-38815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-government","category-local","tag-featured","tag-new-samoan-citizens","tag-thirty-nine-overseas"],"yoast_head":"\n