The multi-citizenship “soup” (Part Two)

As a dual citizen (French and United States) I always wonder what’s going on with that special status as I’m always hearing divergent stories about them. So here’s what I’ve been able to find out. As of today, about half the world’s countries allow dual or multiple citizenship, while others restrict or forbid it. A smaller group explicitly protects citizenship from being revoked. 

Let’s start with countries that allow dual or multiple citizenship. Most of Europe, the Americas, and many Asia-Pacific nations permit this status. For example, in Europe they include the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Spain (with restrictions), Greece, Malta, Cyprus, Hungary, Latvia and Turkey In the Americas there are the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay. 

Over the Asia-Pacific region, there’s Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, plus both Pakistan and South Korea with certain limits. That status is scarcer in Africa and the Middle East with only South Africa, Egypt, Israel, Nigeria and Tunisia. If you’re interested in the Caribbean you’ll find Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts & Nevis and St. Lucia. 

All these countries generally allow you to hold multiple passports and enjoy rights in each nation. There are however some nations that do enforce a strict single-citizenship. If you acquire another nationality, you may automatically lose your original one. For instance in Europe it’s Andorra, Austria (with exceptions), Estonia, Lithuania and Monaco. 

Asia includes China, India, Japan, Nepal, Bhutan, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. As for the Middle East we find Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain. In Africa it’s only Botswana and in the Caribbean, it’s Bahamas. In these countries, naturalizing elsewhere can mean forfeiting your original citizenship. 

Finally, there are countries where, just like the batteries in your new smartphone, citizenship can’t be removed. They include the United States where birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment cannot be revoked; only voluntary renunciation or fraud in naturalization can cause its loss. In Canada, citizens by birth cannot be stripped of nationality; only voluntary renunciation applies. 

After reform, German citizens generally cannot lose citizenship against their will, except in rare cases like for instance if they were to join foreign armed forces. As for France, citizenship is considered a fundamental right; revocation is limited to cases of fraud or terrorism but there’s no arbitrary removal. 

Tomorrow, we discover how a member of the US Congress would like to change this for Americans.