Amidst serious economic crises in the country, issues of nationality are fast becoming serious dilemma especially for women and their children with foreign spouse or fathers yet desirous of obtaining national documents.
The national documents include passport, citizenship, Identification Cards and the most recent is voter registration card which are to be obtainable to all Liberians as per the Constitution.
According to the Nationality Law crafted since 1986, every citizen whose one parent is a Liberian and is a Liberian by birth has the right to national documents.
Article 27, Chapter 4 of the 1986 Constitution on the Right of Citizenship says, “Any person at least one of who parent was a citizen of Liberia at the time of the person’s birth, shall be a citizen of Liberia provided that any such person shall upon reaching maturity renounce any other citizenship acquired by virtue of one person being a citizen of another country. No citizens of the Republic shall be deprived of citizenship or nationality except as provided by law and no person shall deny the right to change citizenship or nationality.
Meanwhile, during the weekend, the reporter caught up with women and children who are either a Liberian parent born to or by foreign parent but were born in Liberia.
They expressed disappointment that they were denied access to national documents in Liberia either because of the color of their skin, family name or accent.
Madam Maima Massaquoi, the mother of 23-year-old Johanna Olawumil Erinfolami explained that her daughter was denied the right to obtain a voter’s ID, a Liberian passport and a citizen’s ID card which has created serious setbacks to travel out of the country and the right to vote comes October 10.
According to Madam Massaquio, her daughter was born at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in 2005 and has been living in Liberia since her birth.
She said Johanna’s father was a Nigerian who got naturalized in Liberia prior to his death.
The mother of Johanna cried that she was sent to court to further process her daughter nationality documents and was requested to pay US$ 700, but stated that the amount is too much as she does not have such of money.
She therefore called on to the Government of Liberia to reduce the money.
Another lady who did not consent to be named expressed her frustration that while out of Liberia during the civil crisis, she was given foreign documents to travel but back in her own country, she was denied because of the color of her skin.
According to her, her late father originated from Lebanon while her mother is a Liberian and she was even given a Liberian passport once but in the Weah-led Government, she has been denied passport renewal amidst all her explanation.
In her disappointment, she considers herself as being stateless as she is now unable to travel out of Liberia even though she is not considered a citizen of Liberia.
She is concerned about how many mothers are suffering from such denial including children as a result of having one parent being a foreigner.
On August 5, 2022, President George Weah signed into law several iconic bills, including the Dual Citizenship Law Bill as well as the Alien and Nationality Law relating to citizenship and restoring the citizenship rights lost as a consequence of erstwhile legal provisions
The Dual Citizenship Bill signed by the President allows Liberians in the Diaspora to remain citizens after acquiring another nationality. By Decontee Karngar-FeJAL/USAID Media Activity Fellow
