Media Wire Express Correspondent
The government has proposed amendments to its laws so as to introduce a ‘special status’ to citizens of other countries with Tanzanian roots.
Tabled in Parliament on Friday, November 8, 2024, the Written Laws (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No 4) Bill, 2024, amends the Immigration Act and the Land Act so as to accommodate the changes aimed at strengthening ties with the diaspora community.
The proposals aim, among other objectives, to grant Tanzanian nationals who have acquired citizenships of other countries the legal right to own property, including land, in the motherland, as well as the freedom to transfer or bequeath such assets.
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The government is also seeking to ensure that Tanzanians in diaspora who hold passports of other countries are not subjected to the vigorous visa application procedures that foreign nationals go through.
The proposed amendment of the Immigration Act introduces a ‘Diaspora Tanzanite Card,’ which will be issued to non-citizen members of the Tanzanian diaspora upon receiving special status.
“A card issued in terms of this Act shall be valid for a period of ten years and may be renewed,” states the Bill in part.
The Bill explains in detail the eligibility for the status, procedure for application, conditions and things that may lead to revocation of the special status.
The Diaspora Tanzanite Card grants non-citizen Tanzanians a ‘special status,’ allowing former Tanzanian citizens and their descendants to enter, reside, and participate in economic and social activities within Tanzania.
According to the Attorney General’s office, the initiative recognises the contributions of Tanzanians abroad and aims to “foster closer ties with Tanzanians overseas.”
