Namibia: Bill to grant stateless people citizenship tabled
Published: 7/Aug/2024
Source: The Namibian
By Envaalde Matheus
Namibia’s home affairs minister has tabled a bill that will grant people born with South West Africa (SWA) identification documents (IDs) full Namibian citizenship.
Up to now, many of these individuals have been unable to get Namibian citizenship under the current laws.
Minister of home affairs, immigration, safety and security Albert Kawana tabled the regularisation of the status of certain residents, their foreign spouses and their descendants bill in the parliament on Monday.
The bill is designed to help people who have SWA IDs but can’t get Namibian citizenship under the current laws. It seeks to help long-term residents and their descendants benefit from access to education, healthcare and employment opportunities.
“Namibia still has individuals with SWA IDs who are unable to obtain citizenship due to legal impediments. These individuals have lived in Namibia continuously and have not returned to their supposed country of origin, making it impossible for them to provide such records,” said Kawana.
Read further: https://www.namibian.com.na/bill-to-grant-stateless-people-citizenship-tabled/