To worry that I might lose my British citizenship one day because of the new law going through parliament?

[flashbac]

I was born here and so was one parent.

There is a Bill that has just been passed, while we were all distracted with shenanigans with parties and what not, that will allow citizenship to be revoked without notice.

I know the power to remove citizenship already exists but the without notice bit is quite scary. I assume that means someone could happily go about their business until they need to show right to be in the UK e.g new job or new rental and then poof, they can't access things and possibly get detained and then deported when they enquire about it and it's probably too late to contest it through the courts.

I know the responses will indicate how so many don't care, "don't do anything naughty then and they won't put you in the naughty bin ready to be turfed off to another land" but remember the right to protest, to give an example of how easy it will be to get on the wrong side of the authorities, will also be outlawed soon so anyone could be arrested, if the circumstances meant a person was driven to it, e.g you do a sit down protest outside a hospital because they covered up malpractice or, it's decided that a huge Amazon warehouse is built in the field behind your garden and you wanted to protest with your neighbours.

Lots of people will think this only affects 'foriners' so probably won't care. I think it's awful.

I’d imagine this affects more than 5.5m people in the UK if your looking at those with one grandparent born outside of the UK. We’re in SW London and the majority of kids at my sons school have at least one parent born abroad.

My DH is British by naturalisation, born in Albania so this affects him and our dc, they’re British by descent as am I but they have claim to Albanian citizenship.

@TipseyTorvey

Mummyoflittledrafon hi, I was born in Britain, I have a British passport and grew up here so am 'naturally' British. As was shamima begum. Didn't help her because her parents were born in Pakistan. The bill makes it possible to revoke my British citizenship because another country offers me citizenship. As pp have said I'm a very dull law abiding officer worker, but what if I decide to join a protest and get arrested and they deem me a threat? Off I go. I wouldn't mind a nice holiday in South Africa but have children and a job here and nothing in South Africa.

Thank you for responding to me. It doesn’t seem likely, does it? But you never know. As per my family. I mean we’d be fine. But dd has only ever known the place we live right now in England.

So many people saying Shamima should stay and rot. I’ve never agreed with this. She was born and bred here. For us to deal with what she did. I think neither parent was originally British, whereas you have heritage here. Not that this should make any difference. She is British born.

@LiterallyKnowsBest

Yes, I’m fully aware of all of that, BritWifeInUSA (both personally and otherwise), but I have absolutely no reason not to believe that this government would happily twist things for their own pleasure.

Then it would be a matter for UNHCR. The Tory government might be inept, but I seriously don’t think they would be getting involved with breaking the UN laws on stateless was over petty criminals, protesters, etc.

The UK has always had a provision in law to remove citizenship from people who break certain laws. The number of times it’s actually happened is very few and those were cases of highly organized terror and espionage, not people protesting at a new motorway being built behind their house.

So the situations being discussed here (going to Spain on a package holiday and not being able to return) are just not going to happen to average Joe. You’d know if you were involved in the stuff that caused you to lose citizenship.

And this is nothing that other other countries don’t have. I’m a naturalized US citizen and can lose my citizenship through two ways - if I obtained my citizenship through fraud or I commit a crime that threatens the security of the United States.

@Meadowbreeze

I'm honestly envious of the blissful ignorance and blind trust of some of these posters.

Sadly ignorance is rarely bliss, it sows the seeds of prejudice and fear. It seems to be at the root of so many historical atrocities and paves the way for manipulation, social division and war. :(

I know what you mean though...

For all the people who think it will never be a problem for them.

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

@LostForIdeas I am one of the people it can affect. I’m a dual national UK and EU citizen, born and bred in the UK

The comparisons to Windrush are unhelpful. That was a terrible scandal, yes, but this new law specifically relates to those who break the law particularly in relation to terrorism. I’m not necessarily agreeing with it, I’m just at the number of posters who seem to think they or their children are in imminent danger of being booted out the country. What nonsense.

@BritWifeInUSA do you honestly believe that? The UK is breaking UN laws today! This is nothing new.
Are you implying the windrush generation were all massively dangerous criminals?
This country has a track record of being incredibly irresponsible and complacent when it comes to immigration law. I think it is wishful thinking that they wouldn't abuse this.

@Wannakisstheteacher

Don’t see the issue. You aren’t going to have your citizenship revoked for a parking fine are you? The crime that would preceded revocation would be serious enough that you couldn’t accidentally do it, you’d have willing committed an incredibly serious offence.

Once again…

Windrush?

@Wannakisstheteacher

Don’t see the issue. You aren’t going to have your citizenship revoked for a parking fine are you? The crime that would preceded revocation would be serious enough that you couldn’t accidentally do it, you’d have willing committed an incredibly serious offence.

You have so much faith in this British government.

ancientgran

For all the people who think it will never be a problem for them.

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Yawn. Was waiting for one of these posts. Nope, not really anything like the Holocaust and the comparison makes you look deeply uneducated, ignorant and horribly offensive.

@beatrixpotterspencil You are of course correct. I am just so sad. I feel like I'm living in the Truman show watching these bills get passed. It is not just about this immigration one.
It is scary how much trust and freedom people have handed to the state. I hope they all know we will not get this back.

Unfortunately, this will be hugely popular with the Brexit loving Tory supporters and they are the ones with all the power in this country now.
I'm truly ashamed to be British.

@Ace56, I disagree because

1- you have no idea how that law is going to be used. At the moment, it’s terrorism (and any other reason they might come up with, they dint have to tell you after all) and in 5 years time? What will it be?

2- comparaison with windrush is helpful. Because windrush is the prime example of incompetence and how little the British government cares about its own citizens. If they are able to make mistakes in that scale, what is telling you that they will not do it again? What’s preventing them? As I can see nothing for the simple reason that Windrush might have been forgotten now. But the attitude? Nope still the same. Second class citizen so not valuable and expandable.
As far as I am concerned, the lack of reaction for a big part of the British population has told me all I needed to know about how they see ‘immigrants’

The comparisons to Windrush are unhelpful. That was a terrible scandal, yes, but this new law specifically relates to those who break the law particularly in relation to terrorism. I’m not necessarily agreeing with it, I’m just hmm at the number of posters who seem to think they or their children are in imminent danger of being booted out the country. What nonsense.

Have Extinction Rebellion been declared a terrorist group yet?

It affects every single UK citizen from Northern Ireland.

@Kendodd they've been put on the extremism watch list. So together with the new policing bill you can't really be taking part in a peaceful protest (whether you like them or not, this is what it is) unless you want to start searching for your grandparents citizenship docs.

@lostforideas couldn't have said it better myself.

@Wannakisstheteacher

ancientgran

For all the people who think it will never be a problem for them.

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Yawn. Was waiting for one of these posts. Nope, not really anything like the Holocaust and the comparison makes you look deeply uneducated, ignorant and horribly offensive.

Not really. The comparison is apt.

How far on the road to fascism and dictatorship do we need to be before calling it out for what it is?

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

It affects every British Jew as well.

Hysterical much?

we might need to eject terrorists and major organized crim gangs.

always I am reading what a shitty place this country is while at the same time we have an immense amount of people risking their lives to live here.

I get confused.

Thye are can't take away citizenship from people without a right to live in another country......they cannot make people "stateless"

This is for the most serious crimes. It just makes the process easier as currently it’s incredibly difficult. This won’t affect 99% of people.

Sajid Javid, Rishi Sunak, Rishi's wife, Gina Coladangelo, Michael Portillo, Lisa Nandy, Dominic Raab, Gisela Stewart -- Gina Miller, too, if you like. I mean, there are A LOT of public figures lined up for deportation potentially.

Oh yeah, this law will only be used on murderers and terrorists. Definitely never affect anyone else.

Anti-terror laws used to spy on family
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/antiterror-laws-used-to-spy-on-family-807873.html

A family who were wrongly suspected of lying on a school application form have discovered that their local council used anti-terrorism surveillance powers to spy on them.

@goldfinchfan

Thye are can't take away citizenship from people without a right to live in another country......they cannot make people "stateless"

They did for Shamima Begum. Bangladesh said they won't take her.