Immigration Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Immigration Law - Essay Example Descent is another mode of becoming a British citizen if the applicant was born outside the UK and if the applicant’s parents were British. Citizenship can also be obtained through naturalisation which is subject to the discretionary powers of the Home Secretary. At the present instance, the rights of citizens are under critical review and legislation has been enacted in order to prohibit any manner of discrimination. The central idea behind this review is to create an equal and vibrant society (Citizenship 1906-2003). The composite citizenship of the UK and its Colonies provided by the British Nationality Act of 1948 has been replaced by the British Nationality Act of 1981, which had been effective from 1983. Under this act, British citizenship can be attained only by birth in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar or the Falkland Islands to a parent who was a British citizen, or a settled resident there, by descent, by registration or by naturalization. In the year 1999 the Government restored full citizenship to UK Overseas Territories and Overseas citizens. Further, Commonwealth citizenship includes all sorts of British citizenship besides citizenship of any country of the Commonwealth. Citizens of the UK automatically become citizens of the EU (British citizenship, 2003). Naturalization is a legal process through which a non – citizen of a nation, by taking an oath of allegiance, attains the citizenship and the rights of a natural – born citizen of a nation. The British Nationality Act of 1981 stipulates the requirements for naturalization in the UK. These conditions include a definite period of residence or service for the Crown abroad, good character, considerable proficiency in English, and an intention to reside in the UK (Naturalization, 2003 ). The British Nationality Act 1981 restricts the acquisition of the status of a British subject to persons on whom the British Nationality Act 1948 bestows this status. Persons who had been citizens of the UK and its Colonies under the 1948 Act, but failed to become citizens of the country where they lived, would continue to enjoy their status as British subjects.