British Nationality Act 1948

Renunciation and Deprivation of citizenship

19 Renunciation of citizenship by reason of dual citizenship or nationality

(1) If any citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies of full age and capacity who is also—

(a) a citizen of any country mentioned in subsection (3) of section one of this Act or of Eire ; or

(b) a national of a foreign country,

makes a declaration in the prescribed manner of renunciation of citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies, the Secretary of State shall cause the declaration to be registered ; and, upon the registration, that person shall cease to be a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies :

Provided that the Secretary of State may withhold registration of any such declaration if it is made during any war in which His Majesty may be engaged by a person who is a national of a foreign country.

(2) For the purposes of this section, any woman who has been married shall be deemed to be of full age.

20 Deprivation of citizenship

(1) A citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies who is such by registration (including a person registered under subsection (6) of section twelve of this Act) or is a naturalised person shall cease to be a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies if he is deprived of that citizenship by an order of the Secretary of State made under this or the next following section.

(2) Subject to the provisions of this section, the Secretary of State may by order deprive any such citizen of his citizenship if he is satisfied that the registration or certificate of naturalisation was obtained by means of fraud, false representation or the concealment of any material fact.

(3) Subject to the provisions of this section, the Secretary of State may by order deprive any citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies who is a naturalised person of that citizenship if he is satisfied that that citizen—

(a) has shown himself by act or speech to be disloyal or disaffected towards His Majesty ; or

(b) has, during any war in which His Majesty was engaged, unlawfully traded or communicated with an enemy or been engaged in or associated with any business that was to his knowledge carried on in such a manner as to assist an enemy in that war ; or

(c) has within five years after becoming naturalised been sentenced in any country to imprisonment for a term of not less than twelve months.

(4) The Secretary of State may by order deprive any person naturalised in the United Kingdom and Colonies of his citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies if he is satisfied that that person has been ordinarily resident in foreign countries for a continuous period of seven years and during that period has neither—

(a) been at any time in the service of His Majesty or of an international organisation of which the government of any part of His Majesty's dominions was a member ; nor

(b) registered annually in the prescribed manner at a United Kingdom consulate his intention to retain his citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies.

(5) The Secretary of State shall not deprive a person of citizenship under this section unless he is satisfied that it is not conducive to the public good that that person should continue to be a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies.

(6) Before making an order under this section the Secretary of State shall give the person against whom the order is proposed to be made notice in writing informing him of the ground on which it is proposed to be made and, if the order is proposed to be made on any of the grounds specified in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, of his right to an inquiry under this section.

(7) If the order is proposed to be made on any of the grounds specified in subsections (2) and (3) of this section and that person applies in the prescribed manner for an inquiry, the Secretary of State shall, and in any other case the Secretary of State may, refer the case to a committee of inquiry consisting of a chairman, being a person possessing judicial experience, appointed by the Secretary of State and of such other members appointed by the Secretary of State as he thinks proper.

21 Deprivation of citizenship of United Kingdom and Colonies where persons deprived of citizenship elsewhere

(1) Where a naturalised person who was a citizen of any country mentioned in subsection (3) of section one of this Act or of Eire has been deprived of that citizenship on grounds which, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, are substantially similar to any of the grounds specified in subsections (2), (3) and (4) of the last foregoing section, then, if that person is a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies, the Secretary of State may by an order made under this section deprive him of that citizenship, if the Secretary of State is satisfied that it is not conducive to the public good that that person should continue to be a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies.

(2) Before making an order under this section the Secretary of State shall give the person against whom the order is proposed to be made notice in writing informing him of the ground on which it is proposed to be made and may refer the case to a committee of inquiry constituted in the manner provided by the last foregoing section.

22 Deprivation in colonies and other territories

The functions of the Secretary of State under the last two foregoing sections shall, in any colony, protectorate or United Kingdom trust territory, be exercised by the Governor ; but he shall not make an order depriving any person of citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies except with the approval of the Secretary of State.