Bahamas: Information on whether a male born in Ghana in the late 1960s to a father who is a Bahamas national by birth and a mother who is a naturalized Bahamas national could be granted Bahamas nationality or permanent residence
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 June 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | BHS14580 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Bahamas: Information on whether a male born in Ghana in the late 1960s to a father who is a Bahamas national by birth and a mother who is a naturalized Bahamas national could be granted Bahamas nationality or permanent residence, 1 June 1993, BHS14580, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6acf274.html [accessed 7 June 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. |
The information that follows was provided by a consular officer at the Bahamas High Commission in Ottawa (23 June 1993). Please note that the term citizen is used instead of the term national, in accordance with the terms used by the consular officer and the Constitution of the Bahamas.
A person born to a father who is a citizen of the Bahamas by birth is considered to be a citizen of the Bahamas. For such cases there is no legal provision requiring registration of birth at a Bahamas representation. The individual at any age can approach a Bahamas representation (High Commission, Consulate or Embassy) and present the documents that prove his or her right to Bahamas citizenship: the father's birth certificate, the father's marriage certificate and the individual's own birth certificate (which must clearly indicate the names of his or her parents). With these documents the Bahamas authorities will process the request for citizenship and issue a Bahamas passport. Although the Bahamas constitution does not allow multiple citizenship or nationality, the consular officer was not aware of any precedent of a Bahamas citizen being denied or stripped of Bahamas citizenship after acquiring another citizenship or nationality. However, those who want to become naturalized citizens are normally asked to renounce the other citizenship or nationality. Individuals holding a foreign nationality or citizenship who are constitutionally entitled to Bahamas citizenship may be asked to renounce the foreign nationality or citizenship before being registered as citizens of the Bahamas.
Please find attached a copy of the sections of the Bahamas constitution that discuss citizenship; this document was provided to the DIRB by the Bahamas High Commission in Ottawa.
Additional and/or corroborating information could not be found among the sources currently available to the DIRB.
Reference
Bahamas High Commission, Ottawa. 23 June 1993. Telephone Interview with Consular Officer.
Attachment
Bahamas. Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, "Chapter II: Citizenship." 10 July 1973.
