REFUGEES FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION UNHCR, APRIL 2023 In addition to other types of visitors’ and residents’ visas, there is a “visa d'établissement permanent” with indeterminate validity, exempting the holder from obtaining a visa at each entry. The visa requires residence in DRC for at least 15 years, to be carrying out agricultural, commercial or industrial activities or exercise a liberal profession, and to have paid taxes. The fee is USD 1,500.180 In order to obtain any one of these visas, an applicant would have to produce a passport of the country of origin. While there have been discussions between UNHCR and the government of DRC on the simplification of such procedures where a passport from the country of origin is not possible to provide, including for long-term refugees from Angola and Rwanda, no specific procedure has been formalised. In 2019, DRC pledged to provide a ten-year residence permit to long-term Rwandan refugees. 181 Access to Congolese nationality Applicable law: Loi No. 04-024 du 12 novembre 2004 relative à la nationalité congolais (incorporated into Loi n° 87-010 du 1er aout 1987 portant Code de la famille, as most recently amended by Loi N° 16/008 du 15 juillet 2016).182 The procedures for acquisition of nationality after birth are established by Arrêté ministériel n° 261/CAB/MIN/J/2006 du 04 juillet 2006. The Constitution of the DRC adopted in 2006 and currently in force contains one article relating to nationality, which provides that: Congolese nationality is single and exclusive. It cannot be held concurrently with another. Congolese nationality is either of origin or by individual acquisition. Is Congolese of origin every person belonging to the ethnic groups of which the people and the territory constituted what became Congo (currently the Democratic Republic of Congo) at independence.183 The constitution authorises parliament to provide other details by law. The nationality code adopted in 2004 remains in force. 184 It is considered part of the family code, which was last amended in 2016, but without changing the provisions (or article numbers) relating to nationality. 185 The Ministry of Justice is the competent ministry for all questions related to nationality. Congolese nationality – of origin or by acquisition – is proved by a nationality certificate issued by the minister, which records the basis on which nationality was acquired, or the documents which have permitted the person to establish nationality of origin. 186 180 Direction Générale de Migration, http://www.dgm.cd/visas.html. 181 See DRC Pledge GRF-00871 listed in the database of Pledges & Contributions, Global Compact on Refugees, available to download at https://globalcompactrefugees.org/pledges-contributions. 182 The amended family code, incorporating the nationality code, is available at: https://www.leganet.cd/Legislation/Code%20de%20la%20famille/CDF.2017.pdf. The article numbers remain the same as the 2004 law in relation to nationality. 183 Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Congo, 2006, Article 10 : “La nationalité congolaise est une et exclusive. Elle ne peut être détenue concurremment avec aucune autre. La nationalité congolaise est soit d’origine, soit d’acquisition individuelle. Est Congolais d’origine, toute personne appartenant aux groupes ethniques dont les personnes et le territoire constituaient ce qui est devenu le Congo (présentement la République Démocratique du Congo) à l’indépendance.” 184 Loi No. 04-024 du 12 novembre 2004 relative à la nationalité congolaise. 185 Loi n° 87-010 du 1er août 1987 portant Code de la famille, as most recently amended by Loi N° 16/008 du 15 juillet 2016. The amended family code, incorporating the nationality code, is available at: https://www.leganet.cd/Legislation/Code%20de%20la%20famille/CDF.2017.pdf. 186 60 Ibid. art. 42.