Citizenship in Zambia is governed by the 1991 Constitution, as amended in 2016. The 2016 amendments repealed and replaced the citizenship provisions, permitting dual citizenship for the first time, providing for a presumption of citizenship in favour of children of unknown parents, and expanding rights to apply for citizenship for those born and resident in Zambia. Gender equality had already been implemented in relation to citizenship by descent — though not marriage — by amendments adopted in 1973.
The legislation providing more detail on acquisition and loss, the Zambia Citizenship Act 1975, was repealed and replaced following the adoption of the 2016 Constitution with a new Citizenship Act adopted in June 2016.
In its most recent concluding observations on Zambia, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child noted that while birth registration in Zambia has improved in recent years, it is unacceptably low.
The issue of citizenship has been raised in national elections. Questioning the citizenship of opponents is a tool which some Zambian politicians have used to try to discredit their opponents, some of which have resulted in arrests. Several cases have been heard by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, including the case concerning the citizenship of former president Kenneth Kaunda.
Implementation of the Global Action Plan to End Statelessness Extracts relevant to Africa Action 1: Resolve existing major situations of statelessness In December, in Mali, with UNHCR’s support, a workshop organized by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, focused […]
Selected extracts relevant to Africa: Highlights The Republic of Congo officially joined the 1954 and 1961 Statelessness Conventions, fulfilling a commitment made at the 2019 High-Level Segment on Statelessness. Sao Tome and Principe’s President signed a decree for the country’s […]
By Isaac Mwanza On Monday, August 14, 2023, the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema and his Cabinet held a 13th Cabinet Meeting in the Year 2023 at which Zambia’s National Refugee Policy was approved. According to […]
Extracts relating to developments in law and policy: Eswatini On 06 April, an application was made at the High Court of the Kingdom of Eswatini ( Eswatini) to declare laws limiting the passing of citizenship from swazi women to their […]
According to the Zambian Constitution, a person who was born in or has continuously lived in Zambia for 10 years and has attained the age of 18 years is entitled to be registered as citizen. Refugees and their children who […]
Extracts relevant to Africa: Action 1: Resolve existing major situations of statelessness The Government of Kenya formally recognized the Pemba as an ethnic community and therefore citizens of Kenya through a Gazette Notice on 30 January. It instructs authorities to […]
The Southern African Nationality Network (SANN) in partnership with UNHCR Regional Bureau for Southern Africa is publishing a quarterly newsletter on statelessness in Southern Africa. The newsletter features updates from organisations and institutions working towards the eradication of statelessness in […]
By Mazuba Muchindu AHMR Volume 8 Number 3 September – December 2022 Abstract The risk of statelessness in protracted refugee situations has not received much attention both in academic literature and policy discussions. Yet evidence suggests that for refugees in […]
By Anette Bayer Forsingdal, Dianne Hubbard and Adrijana Corluka Scope and objectives of the study This report focuses on the nexus between birth registration, citizenship and statelessness in the 16 member states of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). The […]
By Sangita Khadka, Guilherme Larsen, and Risa Arai in UNDP Global Policy Network. Percy Santos, a visually impaired college student in Honduras has acquired a technical degree in computer programming and having a new national ID has been like adding […]
This quarterly newsletter includes highlights on the Global Action Plan to End Statelessness, and news from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kingdom of Eswatini, Kingdom of Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Republic of Congo, South Africa and Zambia. DRC: […]
LUSAKA, (CAJ News) – ZAMBIAN authorities have been urged to consider all legal options possible to regularise the status of refugees, including children born there. Gillian Triggs, United Nations Refugee Agency’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, recommended that the government […]