Denaturalization: Can My Citizenship Be Revoked by a Government?

Several times we have written and published articles about how to acquire citizenship. As ambassadors of financial freedom and perpetual traveler services, this is one of our favorite topics. It's not surprising, then, that we're interested in the other side of the coin: denaturalization.

Can my citizenship be revoked if I obtain it through CBI? Under which circumstances can my citizenship be revoked and does this apply to my original country? At Mundo, we find this topic interesting, and we couldn't leave it forgotten in a virtual drawer of our clouds, or somewhere in our list of potential topics, so here is our piece which we hope gives you something to think about. 

Can My Citizenship Be Revoked? What Is Denaturalization

To delve into the subject, we have to dive into various articles discussing different jurisdictions. The truth is that, in the same way as the naturalization and granting of citizenship depends on each country's particular laws and conditions, denaturalization works the same way.

It's hard to give a straight yes or no answer. What we can do is learn about specific jurisdictions, and know their laws and where they stand regarding this matter. It's also possible to study real cases and analyze them. Let's start, for example, with Great Britain. 

British Citizenship Revoked?

It was interesting to find out that Great Britain contemplates depriving individuals of their citizenship if they pose a threat to national security. On behalf of counterterrorism, they can deprive a naturalized foreign person of their British passport. The ultimate purpose is of course to prevent this person from coming back to the country and posing a threat to its people. So, when is British citizenship revoked? The answer is straight: if someone poses a threat to the country and has another nationality. Citizens who were born British and don't have any other nationality cannot be deprived of their citizen status.

It seems that, with a British passport revoked, the person will not be able to cross the borders of the country again, however as we will see further along in this article, it's not possible to leave a person stateless according to human rights declaration, article 15. 

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What Is Denaturalization

If an originally born British citizen has the British passport revoked, this wouldn't count as denaturalization because there wasn't a naturalization process to begin with. If you're wondering “can my citizenship be revoked”, we can find a clear approach to denaturalization in the United States.

Having established a denaturalization task force, the US government can remove granted citizenship to foreign individuals but only under certain circumstances. To sum up, the denaturalization undertaking is triggered only by taking into consideration what happened during the immigration process.

If the applicant concealed the existence of a serious crime in his or her criminal record, this can be grounds for denaturalization. Another possible reason for deprivation applies if the person acquires citizenship through fraud or unlawful procedures.

Nonetheless, it’s worth making a note: denaturalization, according to the US, does not mean deportation, instead, the person goes back to the previous migratory status. If the individual brought his or her family under this same procedure, they could face deportation if they don't have access to legal residency through any other means.

Naturalization through Citizenship by Investment: Can My Citizenship Be Revoked?

When it comes to CBI, we find a whole different picture. The immigration world is complex, especially in our days, when there are several residency and citizenship by investment programs around the world. Today the citizenship programs offer a quicker path to obtain nationality, whilst through residency you have to wait at least a few years, and this depends entirely on the local laws.

Essentially, citizenship by investment consists of making a donation or an investment to become eligible for citizenship. The status is granted after a due diligence process, and a thorough character assessment. Can my citizenship be revoked after obtaining CBI? Why can this happen?

It's only natural for someone ready to invest a couple of hundred thousand dollars in the economy of a country to ask this question. The answer is yes but only if in the application process you have broken the law or committed fraud of any kind.

The island of Grenada has recently provided a great model to learn from. On March 5th, Grenada’s IMA (Investment Migration Agency) announced the rejection of eight applications due to shady practices that resulted in illegal loans and an overall discount on the program's pricing. The rules are well established across the Caribbean, and programs cannot be accessed for lesser amounts than the ones legally stipulated by the government.

For the same reasons explained above, Grenada’s agency also confirmed starting the revocation process for a citizenship that has already been granted. 

Can My Citizenship Be Revoked? What Do Human Rights Have to Say 

Article 15 of the Human Rights Declaration states clearly that everyone has the right to nationality. It adds that nobody can be arbitrarily deprived of citizenship and that every human has the right to change his or her nationality. 

About the latter, we can agree it’s an interesting topic for debate, but this is not what concerns us today. The right to nationality, however, does. What happens when a denaturalization process begins, or if a person has British citizenship revoked, or citizenship from any country for that matter?

In the case of Great Britain, they allow citizenship deprivation to foreign individuals even if they are left stateless. When it comes to British-born citizens who don't have any other nationality, they cannot be deprived of the right to citizenship. When it comes to the US, we have seen that denaturalization doesn't necessarily mean deportation or falling into a stateless condition, but going back to the previous state.

When it comes to Grenada and the CBI program, it's highly doubtful that the deprived individual has no other previous nationality. However, as stated above, we believe in complying with the law, and if this is done, we should not have to fear citizenship deprivation. 

Disclaimer: this article is not based on formal or legal research; therefore, it does not constitute legal advice on naturalization, denaturalization, or migration in general. This article doesn't take a position on denaturalization or the justifiability of denaturalization policies in general.

Final Thoughts on Denaturalization

Are you thinking about getting a second citizenship and you're worried about denaturalization? Mundo we can help you obtain residency or citizenship by investment in countries like Panama, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Vanuatu.

There are many agents and providers, but are they trustworthy? You should find a team that helps you do everything by the book and according to the law so that you can avoid unpleasant surprises like denaturalization.

The same applies to corporate structures, foreign banking, fiduciary services, and real estate investment. The Mundo team is that team, and it’s ready to provide you with a reliable framework to achieve your goal.

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