Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Rimbink Pato, says Papua New Guineas with one foreign parent should be allowed to have dual citizenship.
This follows an announcement ofthe dual citizenship bill gazette, and to be debated in Novermber parliament sitting and voted upon inthe February sitting, next year.
Papua New Guineas living abroad or inthe country who have one foreign parent were unfortunate to fully benefit from dual citizenship.
This was brushed aside bythe office of Foreign Affairs & Immigration who is now looking at enacting a new law to encourage many successful Papua New Guineas living overseas to re-forgetheir bonds withtheir home country.
Rimbink Pato said in a statement that Papua New Guineas want this change to provide equal opportunities to citizens without losingtheir formal ties totheir homeland.
According to Mr. Pato,these people have valuable skills and can help contribute tothe development ofthe country; however,they will not completely give uptheir rights thatthey have earned elsewhere.
He said underthe proposed amendments tothe constitution, dual citizens will have most ofthe same rights as ther citizens, but will not be permitted to vote, hold public office, own land or have free access to official documents.
The dual citizenship changes have been gazetted alongside proposed constitutional amendments to put beyond doubtthe Government’s ability to restrictthe personal liberty of people transferred tPNG under regional asylum seeker arrangements or similar agreements.
The bill will be debated in next month’s parliament sitting, and Mr. Pato is confident thatthe members of Parliament will supportthese changes.
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