UN Experts:

UK Citizenship-Stripping Powers ‘Discriminate Against Muslims’

Date: 18 February 2022 - 22:15

News ID: ۱۰۰۱۲۸

LONDON (Middle East Eyes) - United Nations human rights experts have told the UK government that its use of citizenship-stripping powers is likely discriminatory and unlawful because of its disproportionate impact on Muslim and migrant communities.
In a letter to Foreign Secretary Liz Truss made public, five UN special rapporteurs also expressed concern about government efforts to extend the powers in the controversial Nationality and Borders Bill.
The proposed legislation, contained in clause nine of the bill, would allow the government to remove someone’s citizenship without any requirement to notify them.
The existing powers have been used extensively in recent years, mostly against British nationals who travelled to Syria during the country’s civil war.
Those targeted include people accused of travelling to join the Islamic State (IS) group.
But Middle East Eye exclusively reported in 2017 that British aid workers had also been deprived of their citizenship.
They cited a 2016 UN Human Rights Committee report which warned that Prevent had “created an atmosphere of suspicion towards members of Muslim communities” and criticized counter-terrorism measures which led to profiling based on ethnicity and religion.
They also cited a 2019 report on the UK by Special Rapporteur Achiume that said that counter-extremism policies had played a part in “amplifying and legitimating anti-Muslim panic, and even Islamophobia”.