Two human rights organisations said in a report that millions of British Muslims are exposed to the risk of losing their citizenship due to the expansion of powers granted to authorities to revoke nationality.
The report, prepared by the UK based Runnymede Trust, which works on combating racism and inequality, and the non-governmental organisation Reprieve, stated that around 9 million people in Britain are legally exposed to the risk of having their citizenship revoked, according to the assessment of the country’s Home Secretary.
The report explained that this figure represents approximately 13% of the country’s population and that these powers have a disproportionate impact on communities with a high concentration of Muslims.
It confirmed that current practices disproportionately affect communities of South Asian, Middle Eastern, and African origin, and that these powers have come to constitute a “systemic threat” to Muslim communities.
The report noted that under current laws, British citizenship can be revoked even if an individual has no actual connection to another country, provided they are deemed eligible to obtain its nationality.
It stated that individuals with links to Pakistan, Bangladesh, Somalia, Nigeria, North Africa, and the Middle East are among the groups most exposed to risk.
According to the report, three out of every five non white individuals are at risk of losing their citizenship, compared to one out of every twenty among white British citizens.
It added that more than 200 people have been stripped of their citizenship since 2010 for reasons related to the “public interest”, the vast majority of whom are Muslims.
The report highlighted the Nationality and Borders Act, enacted in 2022, noting that it allows for citizenship to be revoked without prior notice.
The two organisations that prepared the report called for an immediate halt to citizenship revocations, the repeal of the relevant provision in British nationality law, and the restoration of rights to those whose citizenship was removed under these powers.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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