Namibia - May 2023

In a judgement delivered on 16 May, the Namibian Supreme Court ruled that the state must, for the purposes of immigration, recognise same-sex marriages validly concluded abroad between a Namibian and a non-citizen. It found that the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration’s denial of residency permits to foreign spouses in two such marriages, violated the couples’ constitutional right to equality and dignity. The ruling makes Namibia the second African country, after South Africa, to recognise foreign same-sex marriages. However, the law in Namibia prevents same-sex couples from entering marriages and civil-partnerships and criminalises same-sex activity within the country. 

Sources: Namibian Supreme Court Judgement, Human Rights Watch, Voice of America