The All-Liberian Conference on Dual Citizenship (ALCOD) is celebrating the second anniversary since the “Once a Liberia, Always a Liberian” Dual Citizenship bill was passed by the 54th Legislature and signed into law by the President on July 22, 2022 after advocating for dual citizenship since December 2012.
ALCOD reminisced that before the passage of the law, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had listed Liberia as one of 27 countries that had legislations denying women the right to pass on their nationalities to their children in the same way as men.
“This means that children born to non-Liberian fathers and Liberian mothers outside of Liberia could be stateless if the fathers did not manage to pass on their nationalities. Liberia had a stateless population in large part due to the high numbers of women who fled the country during its civil wars from 1989 to 2003 and gave birth to children, during their time in exile, with foreigners. In Liberia, this had left an estimated 4,000 children inside Liberia and 3,200 children outside the country potentially stateless; but the number could be higher,” ALCOD, quoting the UN’s specialized agency, said in a statement.
Few weeks following the passage, UNHCR applauded Liberia for removing what they termed as “gender discrimination from its nationality law,” which prevented children from acquiring the nationality of their Liberian mothers at birth. ALCOD added that the hundreds of Liberian children, who were once stateless or not citizens of Liberia, because they had been born by non-Liberian fathers, are now citizens of Liberia. As per this new dual citizenship championed by ALCOD, every child born by a Liberian mother is a citizen of Liberia at birth.
ALCOD further stated that before the passage, Liberians with dual citizenship or nationalities were not allowed to obtain or travel on a Liberian passport. “The constitutionality of denying Liberians with dual citizenship from obtaining passport without a due process was challenged in the Supreme Court by Mr. Alvin Teage Jalloh, a Liberian with American citizenship, in March of 2017. On 12/23/2019, the Supreme Court ruled in Jalloh’s favor that he is entitled to due process and cannot be automatically denied obtaining his passport without due process.” The passage of the new dual citizenship law is allowing Liberians with dual citizenship to obtain and travel with their Liberian passport without a need to obtain visa to travel to Liberia.
Following the enactment of the law on July 22, 2022, ALCOD disclosed that more than 1000 Liberians with dual citizenship have obtained their ‘Ordinary Liberian Passport’. According to ALCOD, with wide publicity on getting passports, it is expected that about 15,000 Liberians with dual citizenship are expected to get their passport by the end of 2026.
Further reminiscing during this second anniversary, the diaspora Liberian umbrella group disclosed that before the passage of the law, Liberians with dual citizenship could not vote in any national elections. Liberians with dual citizenship are now obtaining national ID card and also are voting. ALCOD added: “In the 2023 Presidential and General Elections, over 2000 Liberians with dual citizenship voted. The over 2000 Liberians who participated in both elections and the inauguration, contributed more than US$1,000,000 in the Liberian economy ranging from housing, food, transportations, supporting family and friends, making contributions to Liberian institutions, socializing and more,” ALCOD disclosed.
ALCOD further disclosed that before the law, when a Liberian who was born to a Liberian mother and father of non-negro descent was appointed to a position, especially a cabinet post, his/her citizenship was questioned. This is no longer the case after the passage of this law, especially during recent confirmation hearings by the Senate of the 55th Legislature.
ALCOD projects that as a direct result of the new dual citizenship law, diaspora Liberians with dual citizenship, are expected to contribute more than US$10,000,000 into the Liberian economy within the next 10 years in the areas of transportation, lodging , business, political contributions and participations, constructions, humanitarian services, getting passports and national ID cards. ALCOD further says that said amount excludes the normal remittances by diaspora Liberians to family members back home in Liberia.
ALCOD is also projecting that at least five Liberians, who were born to non-negro fathers and Liberian mothers, will hold cabinet level positions in the next government after the 2029 Presidential and General Elections as compared to only two presently in President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s Administration. “More Liberians born to non-negro fathers are expected to be involved in 2029 elections. The two visible Liberians, whose fathers are of non-negro descent, in this present Administration, are paving the way for others. This new dual citizenship has eliminated gender discrimination in Liberian.”
Meanwhile, ALCOD has announced that it will soon start a membership drive to include more partners and members as it starts the campaign to remove the current restrictions in the dual citizenship law and to campaign for Out-of-Country-Voting.
Background
ALCOD started the campaign advocating for dual citizenship in December 2012 and achieved it in July 2022.
On Thursday, November 11, 2021, the House of Representatives passed into law the Act amending the country’s Alien and Nationality Law.
The Act, which was co-sponsored by 30 lawmakers from the House, was read in plenary on November 2, 2021. It sought to amend Part III, Chapter 20, Section 20.1; Chapter 21, Sections 21.30, 21.31, 21.51 & 21.52 and Chapter 22, Sections 22.1, 22.1 & 22.4 of the Aliens and Nationality Law of the Liberian Code of Law Revised, Vol. II. This was done under the auspices of ALCOD, representing more than 500,000 Liberians living in the diaspora.
Following the passage in the House, the Senate on Friday, May 19, 2022 concurred with the House to amend provisions of Liberian Aliens and Nationality Law, which caused automatic loss of Liberian citizenship. The Senate’s amendment essentially confirms a famous saying of ALCOD, “Once a Liberian, Always a Liberian.” And on July 22nd, 2022, the President signed it into law.
Of the 30-member Senate, 19 voted for it, four abstained, two persons were reportedly absent, and one person was a distance away. At least four senators did not vote. Of course, no one voted in the vacant Lofa County seat at the time.
Cllr. H. Varney Sherman, as Orator for Liberia’s 166th Independence Day in 2013, coined the phrase, “Once A Liberian, Always A Liberian.”
