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[[File:Beys Afroyim Loss of Citizenship.jpg|thumb|A 1961 letter from the [[Immigration and Naturalization Service]], stating that Beys Afroyim had lost his U.S. citizenship. Afroyim became the subject of a landmark 1967 U.S. Supreme Court case, ''[[Afroyim v. Rusk]].]]
'''Loss of citizenship''', also referred to as '''loss of nationality''', is the event of ceasing to be a [[citizen]] of a country under the [[nationality law]] of that country. It is not a blanket term covering both involuntary loss of citizenship, such as through [[denaturalization]], as well as voluntary [[renunciation of citizenship]].
 
==Grounds==
TheCitizenship [[Europeancan Unionbe Democracy Observatory]],lost in a variety of different ways. In a study of the nationality laws of thirty-three European countries, the [[European Union Democracy Observatory]] found nine broadly-defined cases in which a citizen of a country may lose his or her citizenship:.<ref>{{harvnb|De Groot|Vink|Honohan|2013|pp=3–4}}</ref>▼
There are generally two categories of grounds for loss of citizenship.<ref>{{harvnb|OPM|2001|p=5}}</ref><ref name="EUDOp2">{{harvnb|De Groot|Vink|Honohan|2013|p=2}}</ref> "Involuntary loss" may occur due to either automatic lapse of citizenship from the citizen for failure to take some action to retain citizenship, or active withdrawal of citizenship by the country. In contrast, "voluntary loss", often called "relinquishment" or "renunciation", is initiated by the citizen.<ref name="EUDOp2"/> It is not always easy to make a clean distinction between the two categories: loss of citizenship due to an initial cause undertaken voluntarily (for example, voluntarily serving in a foreign military or voluntarily naturalising as a citizen of a foreign country) could be seen either as "voluntary loss" or "involuntary loss".<ref name="EUDOp2"/>
 
=== Renunciation ===
▲The [[European Union Democracy Observatory]], in a study of the nationality laws of thirty-three European countries, found nine broadly-defined cases in which a citizen of a country may lose his or her citizenship:<ref>{{harvnb|De Groot|Vink|Honohan|2013|pp=3–4}}</ref>
Citizenship can be lost voluntarily through [[renunciation of citizenship|renunciation]]. A person might renounce their citizenship in order to take up another citizenship.
#Voluntary acquisition of another citizenship▼
#Residing abroad on a permanent basis▼
#Fraud in the naturalisation process, including [[sham marriage]]s, or failure to give up the other citizenship in countries which require that as a condition of naturalisation
#Serving in a foreign military or foreign government▼
#Upon adoption by a foreign citizen, or other change in the child's legal relation to the parents such as annulment of maternity/paternity
#For a minor, upon the loss of citizenship by the parents
#Failure to fulfill conditions, for example in Japan, where Japanese children born with an additional citizenship lose Japanese citizenship if they fail to give up the other citizenship before the age of 22▼
#Voluntary renunciation
 
=== Denaturalization ===
Involuntary loss of citizenship does not necessarily mean automatic and immediate loss. Even if a country's laws state that under certain circumstances citizenship is automatically removed, until officials of the government or embassy are informed, that country's government will probably still retain that person's name in its citizenship records.<ref>{{harvnb|OPM|2001|p=6}}</ref>▼
Citizenship can be lost involuntarily through [[denaturalization]], also known as deprivation or forfeiture. A person might have their citizenship revoked in this way due to:
 
*Fraud in the naturalisation process, including [[sham marriage]]s
==International norms==
*Failure to renounce another citizenship after having committed to doing so in a naturalisation procedure
Various international treaties limit the cases in which loss of nationality may occur. In most cases this limits the government's power to deprive the individual of citizenship, but this also may limit the individual's ability to voluntarily make themselves [[statelessness|stateless]].<ref>{{harvnb|De Groot|2013|p=1}}</ref> Article 7 of the [[Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness]] provides that "[l]aws for the renunciation of a nationality shall be conditional upon a person's acquisition or possession of another nationality". However, this is not considered a [[peremptory norm]] which binds non-signatories to the Convention.▼
*Severe legal breaches such as [[treason]]
 
=== Grounds applying to children ===
Children can sometimes lose their citizenship at the same time as their parent doing so, just as they might acquire citizenship at the same time as their parent. Children may also lose their citizenship following adoption by a foreigner or other changes in relation to their parents such as annulment of maternity/paternity.
 
=== Other grounds ===
Finally, citizenship can be lost through a variety of other grounds, that are often not clearly voluntary or involuntary. One action that is taken voluntarily (e.g. serving in a foreign military) can lead to a subsequent involuntary loss.<ref name="EUDOp2">{{harvnb|De Groot|Vink|Honohan|2013|p=2}}</ref> Some of these grounds include:
▲#*Voluntary acquisition of another citizenship
▲#*Residing abroad on a permanent basis
▲#*Serving in a foreign military or foreign government
*Failure to reaffirm one's citizenship by a certain age (often an age between 18 and 30 years old)
*Failure to revoke other citizenships by a certain age (e.g. 22 years old in the case of Japan)
▲InvoluntarySuch loss of citizenship doesmay nottake necessarilyplace meanwithout automaticthe andknowledge immediateof loss.the Evenaffected ifcitizen, aand country'sindeed lawswithout statethe thatknowledge underof certainthe circumstancesgovernment. citizenship is automatically removed, until officials ofUntil the government's orofficials (e.g. embassy staff) are informed, that country'sthe government willmay probablycontinue stillto retain thatthe person's name in its citizenship records.<ref>{{harvnb|OPM|2001|p=6}}</ref>
 
==Limitations==
Countries may have legal provisions to prevent the loss of citizenship, particularly where the loss would make the person stateless.
 
▲VariousThese internationalprovisions treatiesoften limitstem thefrom casesinternational intreaties whichthat lossprevent ofgovernments nationalityfrom maymaking occur.people In most cases this limits the government's power to deprive the individual of citizenshipstateless, but this alsoas maywell limitas thelimiting individual's ability to voluntarily make themselves [[statelessness|stateless]].<ref>{{harvnb|De Groot|2013|p=1}}</ref> Article 7 of the [[Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness]] provides that "[l]aws for the renunciation of a nationality shall be conditional upon a person's acquisition or possession of another nationality". However, this is not considered a [[peremptory norm]] which binds non-signatories to the Convention.
 
== Countries ==
Most countries have provisions that allow for renunciation and denaturalization.
 
The following countries have provisions for loss of citizenship that go beyond the norm:
 
* '''Belgium''' - Belgian citizens residing abroad between the ages of 18 and 28 can lose citizenship if they meet certain conditions
▲#Failure to fulfill conditions, for example in* '''Japan,''' where- Japanese children born with an additional citizenship lose Japanese citizenship if they fail to give up the other citizenship before the age of 22
* '''Switzerland''' - Swiss citizens who have not been registered by the age of 25 lose citizenship
 
==Notes==
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loss_of_citizenship"