Last Change:
05/26/2025
The Refugee Act
Year: 1999
Type: Domestic law
Rights Category: Asylum
Description
The Tanzania Refugees Act of 1998 is the main law governing the protection and management of refugees in Tanzania. It provides the legal framework for refugee status determination, rights and duties of refugees, and the roles of authorities in handling refugee matters. The Act emphasizes encampment, requiring refugees to stay in designated areas, and restricts their movement, employment, and integration.
Selected provisions
The Minister in consultation with Ministry responsible for Labour, may make rules on the model or type of permits to be issued under this Act, time limit of the permits and renewals, the qualifications and procedures for applying for or renewing the permits, and fees, their revocations or representation for review thereof and any forms ensuing therefrom.
Any refugee who works or engages himself in any activity without permit, will be committing an offence under this Act, and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding two hundred thousand shillings or imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years or both fine and imprisonment.
A recognised refugee resident in Tanzania who wishes to join or to be joined by any member of his family outside or within Tanzania respectively shall make application for family re-union to the Minister through the UNHCR or the Director who shall submit the application to the Committee which shall recommend to the Minister whether to allow the family re-union or not provided that such family re-union shall not take place before permission is granted under this section. Failure to abide to this provision shall be an offence under this Act.
Any affected or aggrieved person by the decision of the Minister refusing or granting family re-union may file a petition for review to the Minister.
Where there is disunity in the family of a refugee as a result of divorce, separation, death et cetera any member of that family may remain in Tanzania and shall have to apply within a maximum period of 2 years from the time of disunity of the family for the acquisition of the refugee status on his own right or for a legalization of the residence in Tanzania under the Immigration Act, 1995, failure of which shall be an offence under this Act provided that where such application has been made he can remain in Tanzania until the final decision of the application is made.
For the purposes of this Act, members of a family shall only include a husband or wife lawfully married and their children who are below 18 years of age and any dependent as ascribed by the Immigration Act, 1995.