Mutharika hints on dual citizenship for Malawi: Reviewing Citizenship Act
President Peter Mutharika has said government is pushing for the review of the Citizenship Act so that Malawians can start exploiting the benefits of dual citizenship.
Mutharika speaking when he opened parliament on Tuesday said the review of Citizenship Act will ensure government consider to allow Malawians to hold dual citizenship.
“Mr. Speaker, Sir, in the 2015/2016 fiscal year, Government will review the Citizenship Act in order to, among others, consider dual citizenship and eliminate discrimination based on gender,” said Mutharika, who had spent over 40 years in the Diaspora.
Mutharika is on record saying that in 1994 on the instruction from the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General he came up with a paper on dual nationality, but the issue was shelved when the then Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Wenham Nakanga, died a few months later.
Currently, Malawians who take up citizenship of other countries must relinquish their Malawian citizenship.
If legalized, dual citizenship will allow Malawians who become citizens of other countries to move back and forth between the two involved countries any time they want without going through the rigorous visa process.
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I don’t see any significance in this. I have lived in diaspora for over 25 years and managed to invest in Malawi during this period. I have property, businesses and employ over 20 Malawians. I come home and stay as long as I want; no hussles at all. I also send money at home; have bank accounts there too.
You can’t stay as long as you want if you hav a foreign passport. Only through corruption can you do so without being asked to renew or extend your visa/stay. Many Malawians in diaspora with foreign passports are given 30 days, then they have to renew their visa if they want to stay longer.
A welcome development
What a wonderful man and a brilliant idea? Indeed this will help Mother Malawi as a nation in boosting up her economy due to forex. Even us as malawians will be free people when moving out of our own country to another country and coming back whenever we want without any problem. Let us bring Dual citizenship forward in support.
I like the debate you guys, Zamadula, Kenkk and JohnM are doing here. It makes more sense. These are the kind of arguments that we should be writing on the comments and not just writing for the sake of writing. I for one, would go for dual citizenship. For example if a Malawian living in UK travels to Malawi, he will be free to stay in Malawi as long as he wishes, and thus he is more likely to spend more of his ‘hard earned’ pounds in Malawi. This will be translated in banks getting forex and people getting money… Read more »
Good move. Now my sons can come home to Malawi and Reconnect with their ancestors roots
Just look at Rupert Murdoch, the media and sports tycoon, originally Australian, then got USA citizenship, added British one as well- triple not dual citizenship for him. Look the whole world is benefitting from his vast business empire. Later on married a Chinese woman just to get into China market for his business then divorced her but his business is flourishing there as well. You never know some of our diaspora people could become very big in business now or in future, all for the benefit of malawi. Please stop these petty jealousies or short-sightedness!!! After all there are a… Read more »
I remember Kamuzu saying the colour of your skin is your passport. How true and wise our dear leader was on citizenship despite his poor human rights record!!!
Good idea why not…
A good idea anyhow the foreign doctors and nurses working here in Malawi do get better incentives ,eg housing, transport, benefits, salary all better com paired to our our own boys girls men and women. Talking of those outside this country, pls it is not everyone who is living on hand to mouth. We got well trained malwians but bcoz of the system here , it stinks to come back. Those are the people who could be part of our staff here continuing and or establishing the innovation of the developments.our health care is gone to the drains.
Ok
Tribal citizen sound better not fckn dual