Benin Govt proposes a bill to grant nationality to Afro-descendants

The government is proposing a bill to grant Beninese nationality to Afro-descendants.

May 15, 2024

The Council of Ministers of Benin in a recently draft law proposed to allow African descendants worldwide to acquire Benin citizenship.

The presented project aims to provide recognition to potential descendants of Beninese victims of the slave trade, a devastating crime that has deeply marked the history of Benin and Africa.

If signed into law, this legalization will place Benin among a select few African countries that allow citizenship by descent beyond the first generation. As a result, Benin will join other African nations that grant citizenship to third-generation descent and beyond, which are as follows:

• Liberia
• Sierra Leone
• Sudan
• South Sudan
• Eritrea
• Rwanda
• Zambia