Senegal: Possibility of, and requirements for an adult person to apply for and obtain citizenship in Senegal if the person resided in Senegal for a period of four years, between 2000 and 2004 and the mother has Senegalese nationality while the father is a Gambian citizen; possibility of obtaining permanent residency in Senegal (2004)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 6 December 2004 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SEN43197.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Senegal: Possibility of, and requirements for an adult person to apply for and obtain citizenship in Senegal if the person resided in Senegal for a period of four years, between 2000 and 2004 and the mother has Senegalese nationality while the father is a Gambian citizen; possibility of obtaining permanent residency in Senegal (2004), 6 December 2004, SEN43197.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/42df618b19.html [accessed 2 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. |
According to Article 8 of the [translation] Law No. 61-10 of 7 March 1961 Determining Senegalese Nationality, a person can obtain Senegalese nationality if he or she is [translation] "the legitimate child born of a Senegalese mother and a father of foreign nationality."
According to Article 8, this person should apply to obtain citizenship between the ages of 18 and 25 (see also Embassy of Senegal to Canada 1 Dec. 2004b). However, according to information received in a 1 December 2004 interview with the minister-counsellor/chargé d'affaires of the embassy of Senegal in Ottawa, a person can obtain Senegalese nationality at any age. The embassy official also stated during the telephone interview that the most important criterion is the mother's nationality rather than the age of the person.
According to Article 13 of the
[translation]
Law No. 1961-10 of 7 March 1961 Determining Senegalese Nationality, a person cannot be naturalized if the person does not lead a good life and have upright morals, or if he or she has been condemned to serve time in prison for common-law infractions, which have not been righted through rehabilitation.
...
A person cannot be naturalized 1) if not of sane mind and 2) if physically he or she is a burden or a danger to society. These conditions do not apply if the person's infirmity or illness has resulted from duty to or benefit of the state [of Senegal].
Article 16bis states that dual citizenship is not permitted with Senegalese nationality.
In addition, the representative of the Embassy of Senegal stated in 1 December 2004 correspondence that any person who wants to live in Senegal for more than three months can obtain a residence permit by applying to the Directorate of police for Foreigners and Travel Permits of the Ministry of the Interior (Direction de la police des étrangers et des titres de voyage du ministère de l'intérieur).
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. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Embassy of Senegal to Canada in Ottawa. 1 December 2004a. Telephone interview with the minister-counsellor/chargé d'affaires.
Embassy of Senegal to Canada in Ottawa. 1 December 2004b. Correspondence from the minister-counsellor/chargé d'affaires.
Senegal. 7 March 1961. Loi no. 61-10 du 7 mars 1961 déterminant la nationalité sénégalaise.
Additional Source Consulted
Internet sites, including: Citizenship Laws of the World.
