Mutharika promises dual citizenship: Addresses Malawians in US
President Peter Mutharika has assured Malawians in Diaspora that their request to be allowed to hold dual citizenship would be looked into so that the National Assembly can debate and agree on such laws.
The President was speaking on Thursday when he interacted with Malawians living in the United States of America in Washington DC, a day after the close of a historic US- Africa Leaders Summit .
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.
Mutharika said 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.
“I do not see any reason why our people cannot have a dual nationality,” said Mutharika, who had spent over 40 years in the Diaspora.
He encouraged Malawians in the Diaspora to invest in Malawi as his government is providing an enabling business environment for every investor.
Mutharika, who renounced his American before his election in May, encouraged Malawians in US who have a Green Card and have been accorded permanent residence to seek financial assistance from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and invest in Malawi.
Earlier in the day, President Mutharika had an audience with the President and Chief Executive Officer of OPIC, Elizabeth Littlefield and the assurance was made that money was available that could assist Malawians living in the US to invest in Malawi.
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