December 8, 2022 Bissau, Guinea Bissau - Decade of Return Coordinator Daiana Taborda Gomes had a very successful meeting today with Alvis Te, Director de Serviço da Identificação Civil (Director of Civil Identification Services), after having previously met with Djulde Baldé, Conservador dos Registros Centrais (Keeper of Central Records) on December 2 to discuss the naturalisation process and specifically the 23 citizenship applications that the Balanta B’urassa History and Genealogy Society in America processed last year and submitted to the Ministry of Justice through Ben Cunha, Director of Promotions and Marketing at the Ministry of Tourism as part of the Decade of Return Initiative.
According to Mr. Baldé, in accordance with the precedent set by the Ministry of Justice in the naturalisation of Siphiwe Baleka back in April of 2021, the following documents that should instruct this process have been waived: Residence Permit, Declaration of Conformity and Certificate of Residence issued by the Foreigners and Borders of Guinea-Bissau, Criminal Record issued by the Ministry of Justice, Declaration of Good Civic Behavior issued by the Municipal Chamber of Bissau, Declaration of Integration into the Guinean Society issued by the Directorate-General for Culture and Criminal record issued by the competent North American Authorities.
The original fee of 770.482.00 XOF ($1,237.00) has been reduced 50% to 385.241.00 XOF ($618.50).
Today, the Director of Civil Identification Services advised us to write him a letter requesting the total exemption of the expenses for the symbolic and historical aspect of the request. He will report this to the Minister of Justice and will support this request before the Minister sends the files back to the Keeper of Central Records which will validate them. When the Keeper of Central Records has checked the documents, he will send it back to the Director of Civil Identification Services who will forward it to the Minister of Justice for her final opinion and bring the file to the Council of Ministers for inclusion in the agenda and final discussion for approval. Once approved by the Council of Ministers, the applicants will officially be Bissau-Guineans!
At this point, there is another processes for obtaining the passport in which Repat Bissau can complete for each applicant. It was the opinion of the Director of Civil Identification Services that the Decade of Return Coordinators should organize a Citizenship Conferement Ceremony for the 23 applicants which is already being planned for May of 2023. However, it is possible for the 23 applicants to complete the process individually. If you wish to do that, email balantasociety@gmail.com as soon as possible. If you haven’t filed a naturalization application but are interested in obtaining citizenship, complete the form below.
Finally, the Director General recommends that the 23 applicants pay the 50% reduction fee now so that the files can be forwarded to the Keeper of Records to move the process forward and if our request for total exemption is approved, the money will be refunded and/or used for the stay linked to the collective passport delivery ceremony tentatively scheduled for May. Again, if you have completed an application and are ready to pay the fee, email balantasociety@gmail.com for the payment link.
Balanta B’urassa History and Genealogy Society in America Founder and creator of the Decade of Return Initiative, Siphiwe Baleka stated, “This is very good news. The details of the process I started more than a year ago are being revealed and the government is open to the idea of waving all the fees. This is as it should be and acknowledges our special immigration status. It hasn’t been easy, but the aims and objectives of the Decade of Return Initiative are being realized.”