Is citizenship of the country you are born in an absurd privilege? | Arwa Mahdawi

Canada and the US are debating their policy. Perhaps it is ridiculous that 10 million people in the world are stateless while so many of us take our citizenship for granted Should you automatically have a right to citizenship of the country in which you are born, regardless of where your parents are from? Most governments around the world would answer “no”. Jus soli, also known as birthright citizenship, is not terribly common these days. In the UK, for example, anyone born in the country after 1983 only becomes a citizen if a parent is a British citizen or is “settled” (ie has permanent residency) in the UK at the time of birth. Similar provisions operate across Europe. By contrast, the US and Canada grant automatic citizenship to anyone born on their soil. Continue reading... source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/29/birthright-citizenship-privilege-canada-america-policy #Headlines by: Arwa Mahdawi

Original Post: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/29/birthright-citizenship-privilege-canada-america-policy