19 October 2010

NGA103601.E

Nigeria: Information on how the Nigerian Consulate in Ottawa verifies a person's identity when issuing an emergency certificate for identification; circumstances under which an emergency certificate for identification would be issued rather than a passport.
Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

In a 13 October 2010 telephone interview with the Research Directorate, an official from the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa provided the following information about the process for obtaining and the reasons for issuing a Certificate of Identification, including in an emergency:

The Certificate of Identification issued by the Nigerian High Commission certifies that the cardholder is Nigerian. The Official stated that in order to obtain a Certificate of Identification, an individual must produce at least one identity document, such as a driver's licence or birth certificate, and may also produce an affidavit attesting to his or her identity.

The Official stated that the Certificate of Identification is issued to individuals who have overstayed their time in Canada or are about to be deported, essentially because it is faster to issue than a passport and the passport machine is currently broken. Use of the Certificate of Identification in cases of deportation allows individuals to take a one-way trip back to Nigeria. A Certificate of Identification can also be issued to someone whose passport has expired, but who needs to travel to Nigeria because of an emergency for example, the death of a family member.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Reference

Nigeria. 13 October 2010. Nigerian High Commission, Ottawa. Telephone interview with an official.

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Attempts to reach representatives from the the Nigerian Consulate in New York and the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC were unsuccessful.

Internet sites, including: The government of Nigeria, the Nigerian Consulate in New York, the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC and the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa.