26 June 2000.
Secretary of State for the Interior,
Department of State for the Interior,
ECOWAS Avenue,
Banjul.
ON DUAL CITIZENSHIP
It is significant to convey to you concerns expressed by Gambians abroad
regarding dual citizenship. It will be necessary to get the view of your
Department of State on this matter.
According to Section 8 of the Constitution,
"Every person who, immediately before the coming into force of this
Constitution, is a citizen of The Gambia, shall, subject to this
Constitution -
"(a) continue to be a citizen of The Gambia;
"(b) retain the same status as a citizen by birth, by descent, by
registration or by naturalisation, as the case may be, as he or she enjoyed
immediately before the coming into force of this Constitution."
Some Gambians argue that even though they are Gambian citizens their
children are often required to have a visa to come to The Gambia and are
treated like aliens. Quite a number of them question how Africans born in
the United States are given Gambian citizenship because of their Pan African
orientation even though they hold U.S. citizenship, they who find themselves
in the U.S. are deprived of the opportunity to hold U.S. citizenship.
I had taken the opportunity to quote section 10 of the Constitution for them
to confirm that their children are actually citizens of The Gambia. I have
also been referring to section 13, subsection (4) which indicates that:
"Nothing in this or any other provision of this Constitution or any other
law shall be construed as depriving, or authorising any person or authority
to deprive, any citizen of The Gambia by birth or descent of his or her
citizenship of The Gambia whether on account of such citizen's holding the
citizenship or nationality of some other country or for any other cause."
In this respect, it appears that the acquisition of another citizenship by a
Gambian who has attained citizenship by birth or descent would not
necessarily deprive him or her of Gambian citizenship.
Most of the Gambians concerned felt that dual citizenship is an asset to a
developing country; that countries like Lebanon, Israel and others with a
large population that had migrated to other countries are benefiting from
investments by their nationals who hold dual citizenship. They argue that
the Gambian economy is currently very narrow in scope and cannot provide
income generating activities to many of her nationals.
Consequently, many Gambians are said to have migrated abroad with the view
of broadening economic possibilities for themselves.
In this vein, many of them are said to have accumulated quite a lot of
resources that they would want to invest at home without necessarily
abandoning the families they have established abroad.
Some of them would like their children not to lose the advantages they have
abroad for furthering their education but would also want them to know their
roots and have concern in making their own contribution to the development
of the country.
It is, therefore, urgent for your Department of State to begin a
sensitization programme on the status of such Gambians abroad.
The fact that these questions are being raised with such enormous interest
makes it urgent for your Department of State to look into the issue and come
up with a definitive position on dual citizenship.
Once this is done, it will be necessary to begin a sensitization programme
so that Gambians abroad would know the extent and limits of their rights as
citizens of this country. The motive for requesting for the actualization of
dual citizenship accords with the national interest. It inculcates in the
minds of each Gambian that while they pursue individual interests abroad,
they can also serve the national interest.
Your attention of this matter will be considered as a gesture in promoting
the national interest.
While anticipating that you will do everything to clarify issues, we remain.
............................................
Halifa Sallah.
For: The Editorial Board.
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