The framework of citizenship law in Ghana has been amended several times, and is currently set forth in chapter III of the 1992 Constitution and the Citizenship Act 2000. The constitution provides that a person born after it entered into force, whether inside or outside Ghana “shall become a citizen of Ghana at the date of his birth if either of his parents or grandparents is or was citizen of Ghana.” It also provides for a presumption of citizenship in favour of children of unknown parents. Ghana has allowed dual citizenship since amendments to the constitution in 1996.
In 2015, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child welcomed substantial improvements in the area of birth registration, but called for strengthened efforts to ensure all children are registered. The Committee also recommended that Ghana strengthen the protections against statelessness in its national laws. In 2019, Ghana pledged to accede to the two statelessness conventions and to identify groups at risk of statelessness in Ghana.
A large number of refugees from Liberia fled into Ghana during Liberia’s long civil war, which led to a protracted refugee situation of Liberian refugees in Ghana, sparking discussion of whether or not refugees should be allowed to naturalize.
Fresh concerns have emerged about the strength of Ghana’s citizenship and documentation processes, following reports that some foreign nationals – Niharika Handa and her son, Vasu Handa – obtained Ghanaian citizenship despite alleged unresolved inconsistencies in personal records. Investigators earlier […]
Statelessness remains a concern for the UNHCR Multi-Country Office (MCO) for Côte d’Ivoire, covering Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, and Togo, with hundreds of thousands of people (including over 900,000 in Côte d’Ivoire) estimated to be stateless or at risk. […]
By Kwame Aduhene-Kwarteng, PhD Many Ghanaians at home and abroad believe it is time to revisit the 1992 Constitution. This sentiment is powerful among diaspora members with political aspirations eager to see restrictions lifted on dual citizens serving in political […]
By Emmanuel Akinwofu ASEBU, Ghana — Nestled in the sleepy town of Asebu, a few miles inland from the Atlantic along Ghana’s Cape Coast, lies a serene 5,000 acre rural settlement. A mud road at the entrance weaves through a […]
A historic moment unfolded at the Accra International Conference Centre on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, as 524 members of the African diaspora were officially granted Ghanaian citizenship. This event, the third of its kind under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s […]
By Julia Schweers Introduction Ghana’s citizenship laws were first defined with independence from British colonial rule in 1957. Its early citizenship laws established the so-called ‘Lancaster House’ model, which other African states later also used to determine membership at independence, […]
By Nana Konadu Agyeman The Electoral Commission (EC) can now go ahead and lay a bill in Parliament to ensure that the Ghana national identification card, commonly known as Ghana Card will be the sole document of identification of citizenship […]
Supreme Court judgment ruling that persons with dual citizenship can be appointed as Chief Justice, Chief Directors and other positions. Download PDF : Osei-Bonsu-v-AG_GHASC2024
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has conferred Ghanaian citizenship upon the legendary musician, humanitarian, and global icon, Stevland Hardaway Morris, popularly known as, Stevie Wonder. This conferment, according to President Akufo-Addo, not only recognize his immense […]
By Justice Agbenorsi The Supreme Court has declared as unconstitutional, provisions of the Citizenship Act, 2000 (ACT 581) which prohibits a person with dual citizenship from becoming a Chief Justice, Commissioner, Value Added Tax Service, Director-General, Prisons Service, Chief Fire […]
The Electoral Commission (EC) has aborted plans to use a new Constitutional Instrument (C.I) to govern the 2024 General Election. This means that the Ghana Card will not be the sole identity document for the next voters’ registration exercise ahead […]
By Emmanuel K Dogbevi Applying for and getting a travel document such as a passport in most African countries can be a traumatic experience for most citizens. Despite advances in technology, which normally should improve service delivery in particular for […]