Sierra Leone: Information on the rights to citizenship or permanent residence status in Sierra Leone of an individual born in Rwanda of a Sierra Leonean mother and Rwandese father; on whether these rights are affected by the fact that the individual has resided in Sierra Leone since childhood; on whether a person who has resided in Sierra Leone since childhood would be provided with identity and/or travel documents by Sierra Leone, and if so, what would these documents be; and on whether an individual with the abovementioned background would be allowed to return to Sierra Leone after leaving the country
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 February 1995 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SLE19858.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Sierra Leone: Information on the rights to citizenship or permanent residence status in Sierra Leone of an individual born in Rwanda of a Sierra Leonean mother and Rwandese father; on whether these rights are affected by the fact that the individual has resided in Sierra Leone since childhood; on whether a person who has resided in Sierra Leone since childhood would be provided with identity and/or travel documents by Sierra Leone, and if so, what would these documents be; and on whether an individual with the abovementioned background would be allowed to return to Sierra Leone after leaving the country, 1 February 1995, SLE19858.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab1e6a.html [accessed 21 May 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 the consular section of the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Washington, DC. This adds to the information provided in previous responses, including the nationality and citizenship legislation of Sierra Leone attached to Response to Information Request SLE17030.E of 10 May 1994.
If a person is born of a Sierra Leonean mother and has lived from childhood to adult life in Sierra Leone, he or she can request Sierra Leonean permanent residence or citizenship. Both citizenship and permanent residence can be requested by persons born from a Sierra Leonean parent; permanent residence can also be requested by a person who has left Sierra Leone but lived there "an appreciable length of time." Permanent residence and citizenship can be requested from outside Sierra Leone through a Sierra Leonean embassy or consulate. The embassy or consulate will forward requests to the pertinent authorities in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Requests for Sierra Leonean citizenship are handled in Freetown by a naturalization unit, which is a joint committee of the police, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of the Interior. The source added that having lived in Sierra Leone throughout most of one's childhood would likely be considered favourably by the decision-making authorities in Sierra Leone when reviewing a request for permanent residence or citizenship.
Finally, the source stated that a child with a Sierra Leonean mother living in Sierra Leone could obtain a Sierra Leonean passport. A foreigner residing in Sierra Leone would be issued an Identification Card for Aliens. Temporary and permanent residents of Sierra Leone can travel outside Sierra Leone. The source was unsure, however, of the exact length of time a resident can be absent from Sierra Leone without losing their resident status.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB 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.
Reference
Consular Section, Embassy of Sierra Leone, Washington, DC. 28 February 1995. Telephone interview with consul.
