mrken30

It's easy to make comment when you have the option of dual nationality. My friends mom has been living in the US 40 years and still refuses to give up her German citizenship. Some people just have an attachment to their heritage or want an option if things get bad.

I guess I have given up a few things just being away from the UK, but I was never asked to give up citizenship. Also if you give up citizenship, does that mean your kids don't get dual nationality?

Pollyana

But the point is that she did not have to give up her citizenship, all she had to do was get the correct visa, like thousands of others have had to. No-one said she had to become a citizen, she could have lived in the UK on a visa. But she chose to spend too long out of the country, so her visa expired and she just never bothered to get another one. Now she wants to be a special case just cos she couldn't be bothered to abide by the rues that everyone else has to stick to.

michali

That is it in a nutshell!

mrken30

But some people are not smart enough to know the consequences. I agree 100% with your comment.

Davita

Germany does offer dual-nationality in certain cases...it is called "Beibehaltungsgenehmigung".

If you can pronounce and spell it.... dual-nationality is automatic.
If failed....it's denied...

Thairetired2016

My friends gave up German citizenship, never managed to get it back when they were old. It is not as easy as in the UK.

BristolUK

I notice the comments on the Mail report are quite supportive - albeit in a "I'd rather have this woman than refugees and scroungers" sort of way.

spouse of scouse

BritInParis

Your friend's mother can apply for permission to retain her German citizenship before she naturalises as a US citizen ('Beibehaltungsgenehmigung') This has been available for a number of years now.

Carol&John

In the 1960s one US company gave non-American (yet resident) employees the "choice" of either becoming US citizens or unemployment. (No equal rights back then)
From a Canadian perspective this meant losing automatically your Canadian citizenship (and British subject status) from birth, including that of your children aged under 18. Not many people knew this as they thought incorrectly that they did not renounce Canadian citizenship.

ILR used to be stamped in your foreign passport, and after expiry of same passport a new ILR (at no cost) could be stamped in the new passport at the discretion of the then Immigration Officer upon entry to the UK (with proof of old passport).
After a good many years it was decided that ILR would not be stamped in passports at UK Immigration ports of entry; however, holders of ILR could still enter the UK carrying two passports (one expired with ILR plus the new one).
Recently ILR has to be applied for, and at cost in each new passport.
Do you follow? This is easily 35 years of following the rules.

There were "consequences" for many "Lost Canadians" pre 1977 which were partially resolved more than a generation later in 2009. Many government officials never understood the consequences.

Lastly, with dual (or multiple) nationality comes the understanding that you abide by the laws of the country in which you are a citizen/resident. As an example, in 2006 the Canadian /Lebanese dual nationals who insisted Canada had the moral obligation to airlift them out of Beirut. Erm, nope! Yet Canada did.

Thanks for reading.

Pollyana

No I don't follow the logic that she should be exempt from the visa rules because of anything you wrote above. She spent too long outside of the UK and did not sort out the correct visa when she last returned.
What justification is there for her not having to meet the same rules as everyone else?

Carol&John

Did I say she should be exempt from the rules?
I gave an example of living in the UK on an ILR visa for many years.
Visa holders need to understand the terms and conditions.

BritInParis

This was true prior to 15 February 1977 but most of those who did lose their Canadian citizenship had it restored automatically on 17 April 2009 when Bill C-37 came into force as you mentioned.

ILR has always expired after two years of absence from the UK so that hasn't changed. There is a requirement to obtain a BRP if you need to prove your right to work in the UK but you can still enter the UK with an old ILR stamp/vignette in a previous passport providing your status is valid.

I would agree that the Canadian government was foolish to do so but it was evidently done for political expedience rather than legal necessity.

dave2003

According to today's i newspaper she was deported yesterday, 27 February, with just £12.00 in her pocket.

Editha

Please explain. In what sense were the Canadian/Lebanese dual nationals not abiding by Canadian or Lebanese law?