Dual Citizenship
Seeking Dual Citizenship? Experts Share Steps for Acquiring Citizenship in Africa By Nasha Smith
I
n declaring 2019 The Year of The Return, Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo appealed to African Americans to visit the continent and the country, as well as apply for citizenship and source investment opportunities. The move sparked an increase of visitors to the West African country — 45% according to the Ghana Tourism Authority — and an interest in applying for citizenship in Africa. The racial reckoning that swept through the United States after the murder of George Floyd also played a part in African Americans considering dual citizenship and finding a haven overseas. Celebrities also took advantage of the opportunity. Actor Samuel L. Jackson and rapper Ludacris received Gabonese citizenship, actress and comedienne Tiffany Haddish gained citizenship from her father’s homeland Eritrea, and actor Idris Elba became a citizen of his father’s native Sierra Leone. In partnership with Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Black-owned genetic tracing company AfricanAncestry.com is helping people who can prove their African heritage apply for citizenship in Africa. As we previously reported, this path to citizenship program was designed by the company’s partnership director and Diallo Sumbry, an architect of Ghana’s Year of Return. The two worked closely with the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs to foster the relationship and establish core guidelines for the now official program. AfricanAncestry.com’s Nichole Taylor outlined the process for African American’s to apply for citizenship in Sierra Leone.
Use Certified Experts Anyone interested in acquiring citizenship needs to work with a certified tour operator in Sierra Leone. A list of approved operators is available at www.mrcsl.org, www.ntb.gov.sl/, and www.tourism.gov.sl/.
Collect the Relevant Documents A letter of request needs to be sent to the Government of Sierra Leone via the Monuments and Relics Commission showing a desire to acquire citizenship. This letter must include your full name as shown on your passport, current address, phone number, and e-mail address. Applicants need to prove maternal or paternal lineage through AfricanAncestry.com or a similar company that explicitly states maternal or paternal descent in their results. A copy of the results and certificate of ancestry must be submitted. Submit a birth certificate and proof of name change on the birth certificate if applicable, a copy of the biodata page on your current, valid passport, at least two references from reputable persons such as your employer, banker, or personal lawyer, and a certified state and federal police report.
46 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021
