Senegal: The rights of citizenship/permanent residence that would accrue to a person born in Dakar, Senegal and who lived in the country continuously until 1974
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1999 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SEN31938.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Senegal: The rights of citizenship/permanent residence that would accrue to a person born in Dakar, Senegal and who lived in the country continuously until 1974, 1 May 1999, SEN31938.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abae1c.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 contained in this response was provided by an official of the Embassy of the Republic of Senegal in Ottawa during a telephone interview with the Research Directorate (21 May 1999). He explained that whether a person born in Senegal in 1939 and who lived there until 1974 can be accorded the rights of citizenship and/or permanent residence would depend on a number of grounds: the person's nationality at the time that they left Senegal; the circumstances and reasons for leaving; and whether or not they had a criminal record (ibid.).
The official also explained that a person born in Senegal of a Senegalese father and a non-Senegalese mother automatically becomes a citizen of Senegal. However, should that person leave Senegal and should he or she live for a long time outside Senegal, he cannot automatically reclaim his or her right to citizenship and/or permanent residence (ibid.). The person would have to re-apply to regain his or her citizenship to the Nationality Committee. He explained that the Nationality Committee is a state agency that determines citizenship in Senegal. He emphasized that whether the person's application is accepted or not would depend on the above-mentioned above criteria.
The Right to Leave and Return in International Law and Practice states that
In Senegal, ... only naturalized citizens may be deprived of their nationality, and then only upon conviction of a serious offence or for having engaged in activities `incompatible with Senegalese status or injurious to Senegalese interests'. While nationality may be withdrawn by administrative decree, there seem to be no instances of its abuse in Senegal despite the rather broad language just cited (Hannum 1987, 116).
The law on Senegalese citizenship can be found on REFWORLD.
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 to refugee status or asylum.
References
Embassy of the Republic of Senegal, Ottawa. 21 May 1999. Telephone interview.
Hannum, Hurst. 1987. The Right to Leave and Return in International Law and Practice. Dordrecht: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.
