European flags fly outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Sept. 20, 2023.
REUTERS
KOROR (Island Times/Pacnews) — George Victor Malek, a former honorary consul of Palau to Monaco, has formally requested the European Union to investigate alleged human rights violations committed by Palau’s director of immigration and customs, citing his placement on Palau’s “Undesirable Alien” list without due process.
In a letter dated June 1, 2025, addressed to the European Parliament’s Sanctions Department, Malek argued that the arbitrary blacklisting violated fundamental human rights, including Articles 6, 10, and 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Malek, a British citizen, stated that he was never notified or given the opportunity to appeal the decision, which bars him indefinitely from entering Palau — a country where he served for over a decade as honorary consul.
“This action has resulted in an indefinite ban on my entry into Palau, a country that I love and served for over 10 years,” Malek wrote in his letter. He urged the European Parliament to consider targeted sanctions under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime against the Palauan official responsible.
Malek’s request comes amid a legal and diplomatic standoff. In a previous interview with local media, Malek said he only learned of his designation as an undesirable alien after a friend informed him of a news report, just days before he planned to travel to Palau.
The Palauan government has cited Malek’s alleged use of a so-called “fantasy passport” — a document titled “International Human Rights Defense Committee Diplomatic Passport” — as justification for the ban.
Palauan officials argue that the document is not recognized for official travel. Malek, however, maintains that the passport had been accepted in Palau and other countries in the past and insists there were no prior issues with his entry.
Palauan authorities have also alleged that Malek misused diplomatic privileges to avoid import taxes, a charge he strongly denies.
According to Palau law, 13 PNCA Section 1005, gives the President of the Republic power to deny entry or revoke the entry permit of persons for a lot of reasons, including “willful furnishing of false, incomplete or misleading information or…an act of espionage, sabotage, sedition, or treason against the government of the United States or the government of the Republic.”
In response to the ongoing dispute, Malek has written to multiple officials, including Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr., National Security Advisor Jennifer Anson, the British Foreign Affairs Office, and the British Embassy in the Philippines, seeking assistance in resolving the matter.
To date, the Palauan government has not issued a formal response to Malek’s appeal.
