Feel at home coming back, Diaspora told
TANZANIA: Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, January Makamba has clarified that it’s not the government intention to disturb and bar Tanzanians in Diaspora from freely entering the country, owning land and invests.
Speaking virtually at the ‘Youth Talk’ with Tanzania’s 2nd Generation Diaspora residing in the UK, Mr Makamba said the State is determined to ensure that diaspora’s get connected and engaged with their motherland without any barriers.
“We take into consideration all the desires, ambitions and demands that people of Tanzania living abroad have always wanted… we have created a package of certain rights that they can be able to access under the special status. With this, now Tanzanians who have citizenship and passports of other countries are allowed to enter the country anytime and stay for as long as they would want without being bothered about visas,” he pointed out.
He added: “For us Africans, land has not only commercial value but also symbolism that you own a land and you can build a house and so forth. And it was prohibited for a person who is not a Tanzanian to own a land, now we have removed that, so if you are a Tanzanian, who has a nationality and passport of another country you can actually still own land here, transfer it, you can inherit land and pass that land to your heirs and that has been taken care of under the special status .”
Additionally, he mentioned an investment package for people with different citizenships to come and invest in Tanzania, noting that they would be required to apply, register and go through the process but as for now as Tanzanians with other nationalities, they can invest and they will be treated as locals.
The Tanzania’s 2nd Generation Diaspora meeting held in the UK was organized by the Tanzania’s High Commission to London, Ambassador Mbelwa Kairuki with the aim of providing a platform for interaction with the diaspora youth, a potential asset for Tanzania’s development.
Giving his remarks, the envoy disclosed the importance of informing diaspora about Tanzania’s Development Vision and opportunities it offers for their engagement.
“As firm believers of a holistic approach in addressing Tanzania’s development gap, we consider diaspora as a key component. I want to sincerely appreciate their diverse backgrounds, talents and enriched knowledge and skills development, gained throughout their stay in the UK. It covers a wide scope of topics, from business to investment, arts and sports, health and education, science and technology, just to mention a few,” Ambassador Kairuki noted.
He added: “It is for this reason that the High Commission is determined to strengthen diaspora engagement by informing them, involving them and motivating them to share with Tanzania their knowledge, skills and capitals to boost Tanzania economy and empower our communities.”
