In a controversial move, the British government’s decision to revoke the citizenship of Shamima Begum, a dual national, has sparked fears among many dual citizens living in the UK. Renu, Begum’s eldest sister, was recently interviewed in London, holding a photograph of her sibling.
The case has raised complex questions about the rights of dual nationals and the precedent it sets for potentially stripping citizenship from others. Dr. Alexander Smith, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Warwick, argues that this decision could have far-reaching implications for the millions of law-abiding British citizens born overseas.
Smith, who is an Australian citizen naturalised as British almost 20 years ago, expresses concerns that the government’s actions against Begum could endanger the status of dual nationals like himself who have lived, worked and paid taxes in the UK for decades. He fears that this move sets a dangerous precedent, potentially opening the door for further erosion of rights for naturalised citizens.
The debate surrounding Begum’s case has become entangled with broader discussions about immigration, asylum and the rise of far-right rhetoric in British politics. Critics argue that the government and opposition parties have normalised much of this discourse, blurring the distinctions between “asylum seeker”, “illegal immigrant” and “foreign-born national” – a category that includes naturalised citizens.
There are concerns that this rhetorical “fudge” is a deliberate tactic, borrowed from the playbooks of authoritarian regimes, to pave the way for a potential far-right takeover of British politics. As racist attacks against migrant communities have spiked, the government has proposed policies that seek to appease the supporters of the Reform UK party, further entrenching extremist views in the political mainstream.
The Begum case bears unsettling echoes of the actions taken by Nazi Germany and its fascist allies in Europe during the 1930s, when they stripped Jewish and other minority populations of their rights as citizens. While many may feel unsympathetic towards Begum’s plight, her case holds significant implications for the millions of law-abiding British citizens who were born overseas. If she can be rendered stateless despite being born and raised in the UK and never facing a criminal trial, then the rights of naturalised citizens under a future Reform government are not guaranteed to be safe.
