| Aliens and Nationality Law | |
|---|---|
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| Parliament of Liberia | |
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| Passed by | Government of Liberia |
| Passed | 15 May 1973 |
| Status: Current legislation | |
| Republic of Liberia |
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| Subdivisions |
Liberian nationality law is regulated by the Constitution of Liberia, as amended; the Aliens and Nationality Law, and its revisions; and various international agreements to which the country is a signatory.[1][2] These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, a national of Liberia.[3] The legal means to acquire nationality, formal legal membership in a nation, differ from the domestic relationship of rights and obligations between a national and the nation, known as citizenship. Nationality describes the relationship of an individual to the state under international law, whereas citizenship is the domestic relationship of an individual within the nation.[4][5] Liberian nationality is based on descent from a person who is "Negro",[6] regardless of whether they were born on Liberian soil, jus soli, or abroad to Liberian parents, jus sanguinis.[7] The Negro clause was inserted from the founding of the colony as a refuge for free people of color, and later former slaves, to prevent economically powerful communities from obtaining political power.[8][9] It can be granted to persons with an affiliation to the country, or to a permanent resident who has lived in the country for a given period of time through naturalization.[3]
- ^ Manby 2016, pp. 32–34, 36, 135.
- ^ Tannenbaum et al. 2009, p. 1.
- ^ a b Manby 2016, pp. 6–7.
- ^ Fransman 2011, p. 4.
- ^ Rosas 1994, p. 34.
- ^ Manby 2018, p. 94.
- ^ Manby 2016, p. 47.
- ^ Manby 2018, p. 320.
- ^ Captan 2015, p. 21.