Over 141 000 stateless persons in Namibia
Namibia reviews laws to address the issue
Government aims to develop comprehensive legislation to address the needs and rights of stateless and undocumented individuals.
The home affairs and immigration ministry says Namibia is currently home to 141 048 undocumented and stateless persons.
According to international law, a stateless person is someone who is not considered a national in accordance with the country's laws. Some stateless people are also refugees.
In response to these figures, Cabinet has proposed several changes to the country’s laws in order to provide a legal framework to regularise the status of stateless and undocumented individuals.
The Namibian Citizenship Amendment Bill, the Namibia Refugees (Recognition and Control) Amendment, the Regularisation of Status of Certain Residents of Namibia and Descendants Bill, and the Statelessness Determination and Protection Bill have been referred to the Cabinet Committee on Legislation (CCL) for further scrutiny.
Caring for all
Government's objective is to develop comprehensive legislation that addresses the needs and rights of stateless and undocumented individuals while ensuring fairness and justice. The proposed amendments seek to establish clear procedures for determining statelessness, recognising refugees and safeguarding the rights of certain residents and their descendants.
"Namibia decided to tackle both undocumented and statelessness once considering that the two are closely related. It is pertinent to indicate that there is political will in Namibia to address the issue of statelessness," executive director of the ministry Ettiene Maritz said.
He was speaking at the 73rd session of the executive committee of the high commissioner’s programme in Geneva, Switzerland, late last year.
"Therefore, efforts towards addressing statelessness in Namibia is receiving meticulous attention by the executive branch of the country," he said.
Verification underway
Maritz noted that it is crucial that the current number of registered stateless and undocumented individuals be validated. He said government is committed to a thorough verification process to ensure data accuracy and integrity.
As the bills are refined by the CCL, they will be reviewed to address any potential gaps or concerns in order to present a comprehensive legislative framework that will effectively tackle the challenges faced by stateless and undocumented individuals in Namibia.
According to international law, a stateless person is someone who is not considered a national in accordance with the country's laws. Some stateless people are also refugees.
In response to these figures, Cabinet has proposed several changes to the country’s laws in order to provide a legal framework to regularise the status of stateless and undocumented individuals.
The Namibian Citizenship Amendment Bill, the Namibia Refugees (Recognition and Control) Amendment, the Regularisation of Status of Certain Residents of Namibia and Descendants Bill, and the Statelessness Determination and Protection Bill have been referred to the Cabinet Committee on Legislation (CCL) for further scrutiny.
Caring for all
Government's objective is to develop comprehensive legislation that addresses the needs and rights of stateless and undocumented individuals while ensuring fairness and justice. The proposed amendments seek to establish clear procedures for determining statelessness, recognising refugees and safeguarding the rights of certain residents and their descendants.
"Namibia decided to tackle both undocumented and statelessness once considering that the two are closely related. It is pertinent to indicate that there is political will in Namibia to address the issue of statelessness," executive director of the ministry Ettiene Maritz said.
He was speaking at the 73rd session of the executive committee of the high commissioner’s programme in Geneva, Switzerland, late last year.
"Therefore, efforts towards addressing statelessness in Namibia is receiving meticulous attention by the executive branch of the country," he said.
Verification underway
Maritz noted that it is crucial that the current number of registered stateless and undocumented individuals be validated. He said government is committed to a thorough verification process to ensure data accuracy and integrity.
As the bills are refined by the CCL, they will be reviewed to address any potential gaps or concerns in order to present a comprehensive legislative framework that will effectively tackle the challenges faced by stateless and undocumented individuals in Namibia.
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