Dual citizenship plan now in the hands of Tanzania's MPs

Travellers being cleared to enter Tanzania at Namanga border. Tanzanians are far from realising the right to dual citizenship after the drafters of the new constitution failed to take it into consideration. Photo/FILE 

By RAY NALUYAGA The EastAfrican

In Summary

• The government had proposed its inclusion into the draft law but the drafters have instead passed the matter to parliament.
• Government was concerned that lack of dual citizenship was adversely affecting Tanzanians abroad as it hindered their access to reliable jobs, loans, health services and education in their new countries of residence.

Tanzanians are far from realising the right to dual citizenship after the drafters of the new constitution failed to take it into consideration.

The government had proposed its inclusion into the draft law but the drafters have instead passed the matter to parliament.

Foreign Affairs Minister Benard Membe had said that the government’s proposal to the drafters had prioritised dual citizenship.

Mr Membe said the government was concerned that lack of dual citizenship was adversely affecting Tanzanians abroad as it hindered their access to reliable jobs, loans, health services and education in their new countries of residence.

“In its proposals for the new constitution, my ministry gave priority to dual citizenship because we believe that our people abroad will be able to make an immense contribution to the development of their nation if we will achieve this,” he said recently as he presented the ministry’s budget estimates.

The Citizenship Act of 1995 stipulates that a Tanzanian shall cease to be a citizen if, having attained the age of 18, he or she acquires citizenship of another country voluntarily other than by marriage.

Speaking the launch of a new outreach project for Tanzanians living abroad, Mr Membe called on Tanzanians to put pressure on the Constituent Assembly to discuss and finally pass a provision that allows for dual citizenship in the new constitution. He dismissed as unfounded claims that dual citizenship could compromise national security.

“A regular citizen living abroad cannot be a traitor,” he said.

According to Mr Membe, many Tanzanian experts living abroad have the desire to support development initiatives at home through investments but cannot do so due to the fact that the country doesn’t allow dual citizenship.

Mr Membe added that Ghana’s diaspora contributes $2.1 billion annually, Nigeria’s $3.1 billion, and Kenya’s $1.6 billion. He said Tanzania has about 2 million people living abroad but they contribute less than $100,000.

Speaking to The EastAfrican, the Commissioner of the Constitutional Review Commission Simai Mohamed Said said the Commission received mixed views regarding dual citizenship, with the majority at the border saying they wanted it because of services they accessed from neighbouring countries.

“When collecting views, we met people in border towns who by the nature of their geographical location have to cross the border to neighbouring countries for education for their children, medical services and jobs,” he said.

According to Mr Said, there are some families with close relatives in border towns of neighbouring countries.

He said before the issue of dual citizenship is brought to the fore, it is important to establish exactly how many Tanzanians live abroad and what are their demands.
He noted that some demands can be met without dual citizenship.

The minister said those who can prove that they left the country for economic reasons may be allowed to buy land in Tanzania but be excluded from other citizenship privileges such as working as state officers or members of the defence forces.