To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2022 to Question 101714 on British Nationality, whether a person can be deprived of their British citizenship on the basis that they are eligible for Israeli citizenship under Israel's law of return.
Answered on
28 January 2022
The statutory provision on deprivation of citizenship is contained in Section 40 of the British Nationality Act 1981 (BNA). This provision can be applied by the Secretary of State to deprive a person of a citizenship status if they have obtained their citizenship fraudulently or where the Secretary of State is satisfied that deprivation is conducive to the public good. Deprivation on conducive grounds is used sparingly against those who pose a serious threat to the UK or whose conduct involves very high harm.
Each decision is made following careful consideration of individual countries’ nationality laws, using expert advice where appropriate, and in accordance with international law, including the UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. An individual can also seek to exercise their statutory right to appeal against a decision.