Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Major General (Rtd) Pius Mokgware, has acknowledged the challenges faced by foreign nationals married to Batswana in acquiring citizenship, but maintained that Botswana’s laws already make adequate provisions to support such individuals—subject to compliance with established legal and character requirements.
Responding to a parliamentary question by Bobirwa MP Taolo Lucas, Mokgware said while the law allows foreign nationals married in Botswana to apply for citizenship after five years of residency, citizenship is not automatically granted, and each application is evaluated on its merits.
According to the minister, a total of 6,288 foreign nationals have been granted Botswana citizenship over the past 30 years. However, he admitted that his Ministry does not currently have disaggregated data on how many of these individuals were married in Botswana over specific time periods—30, 20, or 10 years—and had persistently applied for citizenship without success. Mokgware requested time to collect this data and provide a detailed response at a later date.
The minister emphasized that applicants for citizenship, including foreign spouses of Batswana, undergo interviews by the Citizenship Committee in accordance with Section 3(4) of the Citizenship Act. These interviews are guided by a Point-Based System with a minimum pass mark of 70%, which assesses factors such as language proficiency, education level, length of marriage, livelihood, community involvement, character, and overall presentation.
“Although some applicants fail to meet the pass mark, I often exercise my discretion to waive the score so that they can become citizens,” said Mokgware. “However, the law also requires that the spouse be of good character. Some have criminal records or have been declared prohibited immigrants following imprisonment without the option of a fine.”
In such cases, Mokgware noted, the Ministry advises those who have not committed serious crimes to apply for a presidential pardon, which could then allow them to reapply for citizenship.
Lucas had also expressed concern over whether the national citizenship quota affects applications from foreign spouses. In response, Mokgware clarified that while the current quota—set by Presidential Directive CAB19(b)/2002—limits the number of citizenships granted in a single year to 200, this quota explicitly excludes spouses of citizens. “Applications by spouses of citizens are dealt with outside the quota,” he stressed.
On whether there are plans to ease the path to citizenship for foreign nationals married in Botswana for five years or more, Mokgware pointed to existing legal provisions under Section 14 of the Citizenship Act. These allow for foreign spouses to apply for citizenship after five years of residency, and also permit the Minister to waive the residency period or language requirement under special circumstances.
“These provisions were primarily geared at making it easier for foreign nationals married in Botswana to acquire citizenship,” he said, suggesting that the law already anticipates such situations and provides the necessary flexibility.
