Staff Reporter
THE Ministry of Home Affairs is working with the Office of the Attorney General to draft the necessary regulations to facilitate the effective implementation of the Stateless Determination and Protection Bill, which is expected to serve as the primary legal framework for addressing issues affecting stateless individuals.
“In collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General, the Ministry is currently engaged in drafting the required regulations to enable the effective implementation of the aforementioned Act (Stateless Determination and Protection Bill), along with two other related legislative instruments. Once finalised and approved, these regulations will allow for the operationalisation of the legislation, paving the way for the regularisation of affected individuals,” said the Ministry’s Executive Director, Nghidinua Daniel.
He highlighted that, while the Ministry’s 2024 Mass Registration Outreach Programme assisted a total of 110,620 undocumented individuals, 14,976 of these applications did not meet the legal requirements for document issuance, emphasising the need for legal frameworks to guide the regulation of such cases.
“In respect of the 14,976 individuals whose applications were unsuccessful, the Ministry is currently compiling a Functional Register to serve as a credible and comprehensive database. This register will inform future identification, verification, and regularisation efforts once the appropriate legal frameworks are operationalised,” Daniel said.
He further noted that, at present, there are no legal provisions for issuing temporary citizenship, birth certificates, or identity documents. Nevertheless, efforts are underway to establish a primary legal mechanism for resolving cases of statelessness.
“The Ministry notes with appreciation that the 7th Parliament enacted the Regularisation of Status of Certain Residents of Namibia, their Descendants and Foreign Spouses Act, which provides an essential legal foundation for addressing statelessness in Namibia. It is anticipated that the 8th Parliament will consider and enact the Stateless Determination and Protection Bill, envisaged as the primary legal mechanism for resolving matters concerning stateless individuals,” Daniel said.
He urged individuals who participated in the 2024 Mass Registration Outreach Programme to review their Acknowledgement Receipts to understand why their applications were not approved and to visit the nearest Ministry office if they require clarification.
“The Ministry remains committed to expanding access to civil registration services through the establishment of additional service points, the deployment of mobile registration units, and the streamlining of verification and adjudication procedures to ensure the timely and equitable issuance of national documents to all eligible persons,” Daniel added.
