New Citizenship Regulations Unsettle Young Zimbabweans Living in Botswana




FILE: Botswana police ready to arrest illegal immigrants.
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The Botswana government is planning to cancel citizenship for all persons who are above the age of 21, born to a local and a foreigner, who have not renounced citizenship for another country.

Holders of dual citizenship are supposed declare their status when they attain 21 years of age and failure to do so results in someone losing his or her Botswana citizenship.

Some young Zimbabweans are believed to be affected by new regulations compelling them to declare their citizenship.

A Zimbabwean man, who married a local woman and the couple have a son, said, “This is confusing because children born in this country believe that they are Batswanas. Now, these new regulations will cause a lot of confusion among young people.”

An affected young man noted that “we are worried about the new regulations as my father is a Zimbabwean and my mother is a Botswana citizen.”

State officials urged affected people to visit the Immigration Department in order to sort out their citizenship. – VOA