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This chapter investigates the politicisation of identity and citizenship in Liberia, focusing on the contentious debate over dual citizenship. The chapter traces the historical roots of the debate, revealing how the state strategically uses citizenship categories to define national belonging. A key tension arises from the conflation of dual citizenship with non-Black citizenship, which shapes both advocacy and opposition. While proponents highlight its developmental benefits and alignment with global “best practices,” opponents express deeper anxieties rooted in Liberia’s settler-colonial past. These concerns extend beyond resource competition to fears of cultural displacement and entrenched inequalities. By contextualising the debate within Liberia’s sociopolitical history, the chapter offers a critical examination of citizenship as a site of contested identity, power, and belonging.

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Inequality, Fairness, and Liberia’s Dual Citizenship Debate

  • 章节

  • 发表日期：

    2026年

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  • Franka Vaughan

摘要

This chapter investigates the politicisation of identity and citizenship in Liberia, focusing on the contentious debate over dual citizenship. The chapter traces the historical roots of the debate, revealing how the state strategically uses citizenship categories to define national belonging. A key tension arises from the conflation of dual citizenship with non-Black citizenship, which shapes both advocacy and opposition. While proponents highlight its developmental benefits and alignment with global “best practices,” opponents express deeper anxieties rooted in Liberia’s settler-colonial past. These concerns extend beyond resource competition to fears of cultural displacement and entrenched inequalities. By contextualising the debate within Liberia’s sociopolitical history, the chapter offers a critical examination of citizenship as a site of contested identity, power, and belonging.