Staff writer
Amnesty international has called on government to make a provision to give descendants of migrant workers identification documents and citizenship as they remain outcasts and feel marginalised in communities.
“Zimbabwean authorities must take effective measures to ensure that all stateless descendants of migrant workers from other countries are granted the necessary identity documents and citizenship in line with the constitution,”said Amnesty international.
“Everyone has the right to belong.Imagine being denied the documentation that allows you to access education, work, health care, and other basic rights.
Imagine being stripped of any legal status in a country where you have raised your family and which you consider to be your home.
Government must end statelessness,”added Amnesty international.
Amnesty International research lays bare the devastating consequences of statelessness on the eve of 41 years of independence where many hoped to live in a country where they are treated equally, regardless of their political affiliation or ethnicity. The current statelessness crisis in Zimbabwe has its roots in colonial history. The British colonial government largely depended on cheap migrant labour from Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia to grow its industries.
In Zimbabwe approximately 300,000 people are currently at risk of statelessness, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Lack of official data means that the exact number is unknown.