Policy Guidance on Sierra Leone Citizenship Laws

Published: 1/Feb/2020
Source: Sierra Leone Immigration Department

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Citizenship is the concept of belonging to a nation or a sovereign state. It is a legal status enshrined in the constitution and/or in statute which accord members rights and privileges along with responsibilities. This include the right to live, work and pay taxes in that nation or state. In most countries people are accorded the additional right to have dual or multiple citizenship, meaning that people can belong to more than one nation or sovereign state.

1.2 Sierra Leone being a sovereign nation has various statutes/laws that set out the basis on which someone qualifies for citizenship and hence entitled to a Sierra Leonean passport. These statutes/laws are:

• THE CONSTITUTION OF SIERRA LEONE
• THE CITIZENSHIP ACT OF 1973 (SIERRA LEONE)
• THE CITIZENSHIP ACT OF 1976 (SIERRA LEONE)
• THE CITIZENSHIP ACT OF 2006 (SIERRA LEONE)
• THE CITIZENSHIP ACT OF 2017 (SIERRA LEONE)

1.3 The Sierra Leone citizenship Act, 1973 is the principal statute that defines the legal basis of becoming a citizen of Sierra Leone, although various amendments were made in subsequent years.

Download: https://slid.gov.sl/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Policy-Guidance-on-Nationality.pdf

Themes: Acquisition of nationality, Dual Nationality, Loss and Deprivation of Nationality
Regions: Sierra Leone
Year: 2020