Eritrea: Procedures for obtaining Eritrean citizenship for persons born outside Eritrea; whether a new nationality legislation is being drafted or enacted (2004)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 15 October 2004 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ERT43035.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Eritrea: Procedures for obtaining Eritrean citizenship for persons born outside Eritrea; whether a new nationality legislation is being drafted or enacted (2004), 15 October 2004, ERT43035.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/42df60e3a.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In a 2003 Report of Fact-Finding Mission to Eritrea, the United Kingdom's Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) pointed out that "the Eritrean Nationality Proclamation No.21/1992 published in April 1992 details the criteria and law as regarding Eritrean Nationality" (29 Apr. 2003). In correspondence to the Research
Directorate, the head of consular affairs of the office of the embassy of Eritrea in Ottawa indicated that the 1992 Eritrean nationality legislation has not recently been amended; and that persons, including children who are born outside Eritrea, one or both of whose parents are Eritrean, can apply for Eritrean citizenship as long as three witnesses who are Eritrean citizens can testify in favour of the applicant (13 Oct. 2004a).
A source consulted by the United Kingdom's Immigration and Nationality Directorate provided more information on the procedures involving the three witnesses by stating that "[the applicants] can choose any three Eritreans in the world that they know personally. [If the witness is] abroad [he or she] will have to go to the Eritrean embassy in order to answer ... standard questions about how long [he or she has] known the person, [the type of] relationship etc. [He or she signs] a piece of paper that is then faxed onwards " (29 Apr. 2003). In a telephone interview, the head of consular affairs of the office of the embassy of Eritrea corroborated the fact that the testimony by witnesses is signed but reported that this testimony must be given in Eritrea for applicants over 25 years of age, and can be given in Canada for applicants less than 25 years old (13 Oct. 2004b).
People of other nationalities living Eritrea can get Eritrean citizenship by "naturalization, marriage [or] adoption" (Office of the Embassy of Eritrea 13 October 2004a.). This corroborates information provided by the United Kingdom's Immigration and Nationality Directorate's Report of Fact-Finding Mission to Eritrea, which mentions naturalization, adoption and marriage as categories included in the 1992 Eritrean nationality legislation, besides nationality by birth (29 Apr. 2003).
Applicants for Eritrean Citizenship have to complete a citizenship application which applies to all cases, including citizenship by birth, naturalization, marriage and adoption (Office of the embassy of Eritrea 13 Oct. 2004b).
No additional information on the current application process for obtaining Eritrean citizenship could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection.
References
Office of the embassy of Eritrea, Ottawa. 13 October 2004a. Correspondence from the head of consular affairs.
_____. 13 October 2004b. Telephone interview with the head of consular affairs.
United Kingdom. 29 April 2003. Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND), Home Office. Report of Fact-Finding Mission to Eritrea.