The US supreme court ruling on birthright citizenship throws much needed light on the UK, which replaced birthright citizenship on 1 January 1983 (US supreme court upholds birthright citizenship in blow to Trump agenda, 30 June).
Following proposals of successive governments and extensive parliamentary debate, the British Nationality Act 1981 nonetheless provided every child born here with the right to citizenship no later than their 10th birthday if the UK remains their home.
While some become citizens at birth, the right of others must be formally registered. We see several people in their 30s and 40s without British citizenship who have always lived here, and many more children whose citizenship rights remain to be registered.
The alienation of people whose childhoods pass with no one knowing or acting to secure their citizenship is palpable. The government must stop treating these people as having no right to be here and must raise public awareness of children’s citizenship registration.
Solange Valdez-Symonds
Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens
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