Tanzania introduces bill to offer diaspora 'special status' with property rights, visa exemptions

The Written Laws (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No 4) Bill, 2024, which was tabled in Parliament on Friday, November 8, proposes changes to the Immigration Act and the Land Act to accommodate Tanzanians who have acquired citizenship in other countries.

The proposed amendments, the Citizen Tanzania reports, will enable Tanzanians abroad to own property, including land, in Tanzania and grant them the right to transfer or inherit such assets. Additionally, Tanzanians holding foreign passports would be exempt from the rigorous visa procedures applied to other foreign nationals. 

To formalise these changes, the Immigration Act will introduce a 'Diaspora Tanzanite Card' for non-citizen Tanzanians who obtain special status. "A card issued in terms of this Act shall be valid for ten years and may be renewed," states the Bill in part. The Diaspora Tanzanite Card will grant former Tanzanians and their descendants a special status, allowing them to enter, reside, and participate in Tanzania's economic and social activities without needing Tanzanian citizenship.

With a population exceeding 67 million, Tanzania has a relatively small diaspora community—about 320,000 as of 2020—compared to neighbouring Kenya, which has approximately 3 million Kenyans living abroad. 

Tanzania’s government hopes the ‘special status’ initiative will drive an increase in diaspora remittances, which play a crucial role in the national economy, from $751 million in 2023 to a projected $1.5 billion by 2028. This upward trend marks significant growth from the $430 million recorded in 2018.