The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services in the central region has embarked on a sensitization campaign to the general public to unpack information on dual citizenship.
This is according to Central Region Public Relations Officer Inspector Pasqually Zulu who said the department launched the sensitization campaign on dual citizenship on Friday January 14th, 2022 in the Capital Lilongwe.
Inspector Zulu told this publication that the development comes in following the full commencement of the dual citizenship application and submissions scheduled to start this coming Tuesday January 18th, 2022.
He said for now processing of dual citizenship will only be carried out at the Immigration Head office and all Regional Immigration formations countrywide.
The publicist further added that as per guidelines principle, under section 6 subsection (1) of the Malawi Citizenship act Chapter 15:01 of the laws of Malawi, those eligible to acquire the dual citizenship are Malawians by birth or descent.
He continued to say that the status quo does not include nationals who acquired citizenship by registration, naturalisation and special conferment.
“Processing of dual citizenship will commence this coming Tuesday January 18th and that’s why we thought of stepping up awareness campaign so that people should be aware of all the protocols in processing the dual citizenship.
“Among the information to be unpacked include the types of the applications to be submitted which include, notification and registration of dual citizenship, restoration of Malawi citizenship and also the notification of dual citizenship upon attaining of the age of 19,” said Zulu.
The Department has since threatened that those ineligible for the dual citizenship and those intending to make a false declaration on the submission, will face serious consequences as stipulated in the laws of the country.
The National Assembly passed the Malawi Citizenship amendment bill on the 12th December, 2018, but the bill was assented into law in March 2019 and operationalization of the dual citizenship regulations was gazetted in November, 2021.
