Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill

Certain people who are citizens of Commonwealth countries have a right of abode in the UK. The clause specifically refers to people who are citizens of another country but who are granted, because of different circumstances, right of abode. The clause says that in circumstances in which they have citizenship and right of abode and have citizenship in two countries, we can remove that. It makes reference to the fact that some people have citizenship of another country and right of abode here, when we might wish to remove that right of abode because of acts that they have committed. That is the fundamental point. I have looked at the point that the noble Lord, Lord Judd, made about whether we would be in contravention of the convention, because I thought that it would be, understandably, raised. My understanding is that we are not in contravention, because of the way in which the convention deals with issues of citizenship, as one would expect. That is the advice that I have. It is because citizenship is not an absolute right within the convention—it is qualified.