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As the Nationality and Borders bill returns to the Lords today, a recap of how outrage has grown out of one of its many abhorrent aspects - clause 9 – which would allow ministers to revoke the citizenship of British nationals without notice on ‘public interest’ grounds
As the Nationality and Borders bill returns to the Lords today, a recap of how outrage has grown out of one of its many abhorrent aspects - clause 9 – which would allow ministers to revoke the citizenship of British nationals without notice on ‘public interest’ grounds
When the @NewStatesman reported that the clause could affect up to six million citizens who have or have access to a second citizenship, most from ethnic minorities, fear and anger erupted on social media, in the press, in parliament and in MPs’ constituency surgeries. 
Activists and community groups have responded to raise the alarm, with over 300k signing a parliamentary petition to remove the clause. A protest led by @WritersofColour, @SCUKofficial, @MABOnline1 and others is planned for today outside parliament at 1pm
https://twitter.com/WritersofColour/status/1477322551487516677?s=20
Although the clause doesn’t change the law on who can lose citizenship and on what grounds, with the Home Office now openly declaring that ‘citizenship is a privilege, not a right’, it has brought home to a wider public what Black and Muslim communities have long since known...
...namely the precarious nature of British citizenship as a result of changes brought in since 2002, and the ‘deportation logic’ on which they are based.
This logic – ship ‘em out, regardless of family ties, or how long they have lived here, if they cause trouble, or can’t prove their right to be here – deprived the Windrush generation of their livelihoods, their homes, and in some cases their freedom and their country.
Now, this deportation logic, which is inherently expansive, is applied to British-born citizens too – and this fact drives public anger.
Anti-racists need to seize this moment, to build on the anger and revulsion to make connections.
Anti-racists need to seize this moment, to build on the anger and revulsion to make connections.
As argued here, we should reflect that this latest assault is not exceptional, but the intended expansion of a violent system that dehumanises the most vulnerable, excludes ‘undeserving’ others and entrenches hierarchies of belonging. bylinetimes.com/2022/01/04/pla…
Our ambition should be wider than removing clause 9 – we should have in our sights the exclusionary logic of citizenship deprivation & its expansion since 2002, and also the parallel exclusionary logic which will see refugees pushed back, denied sanctuary & offshored by this Bill
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