Citizenship in Africa: The Law of Belonging

The United Nations estimates that there are 272 million migrants around the world.1 These individuals will become long-term residents, have families, and create communities. Yet the citizenship laws in their countries of residence may deny them and their children access to citizenship or take away previously granted citizenship. In light of such developments, the right to nationality has become an important right to examine. There is a growing literature within international human rights law about the right to nationality, but it is a topic that has received sparse attention from citizenship and nationality scholars. Bronwen Manby’s Citizenship in Africa: The Law of Belonging makes an important contribution at the intersection of these two literatures. Through a series of historical case studies, Manby offers important insights that support a robust right to nationality. By analyzing the history of nationality laws in a number of African states, Manby illustrates how the traditional approach of treating nationality determinations as decisions within the exclusive domain of the state leaves individuals extremely vulnerable to political, economic, and social losses. Furthermore, it is often the most marginalized individuals in society who will suffer the most.