Iranian national fights for Namibian citizenship after 24 years

Sostenus Wilherm

Sostenus Wilherm

After more than two decades of calling Namibia home, Iranian national Atousa Fischer-Buder is fighting for recognition as a Namibian citizen, but her path to naturalisation has hit a legal barrier over whether she must give up her Iranian citizenship before becoming Namibian.

Fischer-Buder has approached the High Court seeking to overturn a decision by the ministry of home affairs, immigration, safety and security that requires her to formally renounce her Iranian citizenship before she can receive a Namibian certificate of naturalisation.

Her case has placed Namibia’s strict position on dual citizenship under renewed scrutiny, as the court considers whether people who are unable to complete formal renunciation procedures in their countries of origin should still qualify for citizenship.