Earlier this month, a new clause was snuck into the government’s Nationality and Borders Bill, which would grant the power to deprive a person’s citizenship without them even being told.

In defence of this clause, the Home Office chillingly responded that “citizenship is a privilege, not a right”, reinforcing the idea that ministerial discretion can decide whether or not you belong in the UK.

The enhanced deprivation powers laid out in the Nationality and Borders Bill send a signal from the government to its citizens: if you have links to other countries then don’t take your citizenship for granted.
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We should see this as a threat to everyone, but particularly to Black and ethnic minority citizens in this country who already have to fight to belong.

Read the full article with the Big Issue here.

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Alba is senior policy officer at the Runnymede Trust.