Tanzania’s domestic laws do incorporate exclusion clauses that align broadly with international standards, particularly those set out in Article 1F of the 1951 Refugee Convention and Article I(5) of the 1969 OAU Convention. These provisions outline circumstances under which a person may be excluded from refugee status—such as where they have committed serious crimes, acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations, or war crimes.

The Refugees Act No. 9 of 1998 reflects these exclusion criteria by empowering the authorities to deny refugee status to individuals who pose a serious threat to public order, national security, or who have engaged in criminal conduct. However, while the legal basis for exclusion is generally consistent with international standards, the Act does not elaborate on procedural safeguards or evidentiary thresholds for applying these clauses, nor does it explicitly require an individualized assessment based on the principle of proportionality and necessity.

This raises concerns regarding the potential for overly broad or discretionary application of exclusion, especially in the absence of judicial oversight or an independent appeal process. International standards emphasize that exclusion clauses must be applied restrictively and only after careful examination of the facts. In practice, Tanzania’s implementation of these provisions may at times lack the transparency and procedural rigour required to ensure that genuine refugees are not wrongfully excluded.