dannyman, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Up to six million British citizens could have their citizenship revoked without warning under new government legislation – which is worrying some Salford residents.
The Nationality and Borders Bill could see British passports removed from some people with dual citizenship.
Last week the Conservative Party passed the final reading of the Bill, which also criminalises boats rescuing people at sea and revokes the rights of migrants, and violates the refugee convention.
Eccles resident Naser Al-Hariry said many of the people affected were born and raised in the UK. Naser comes from an immigrant family, who like millions of others around the country, could be affected by this legislation do to having dual citizenship.
“Many others have helped this country in the wars back in the day and participated in building its economy to bring up the modern Britain we see now,” he said.
“The UK’s current government is using the power they have in hands to divide the British society that has been a nation proud of its multi-culture for over 75 years. However, now that the Home Office officials have said that British citizenship is a privilege, not a right, this has caused a huge distrust towards the government not only from the BAME community, but from the white British community.”
He fears the Bill will trigger a massive rise in racism.
He said: “The government has let down the British people by acting in this shameful way to destroy the British culture structure that generations were raised to respect.”
As of 2016, the Home Secretary has had the power to strip the citizenship of foreign-born Brits and people who have a parent with a foreign passport, if they have committed a crime. As of 2006, they have been able to strip the citizenship of dual nationals if it is “conducive to the public good”.
Salford, although one of the lesser diverse areas of Greater Manchester, still boasts a multi-ethnic experience from its Asian restaurants to its Caribbean goods stores.
According to the 2011 census, 8.9 per cent of Salford’s population is of non-white or mixed/multiple ethnic groups. The area has less than five per cent Pakistani and Chinese population and a 5-10 per cent African population. The ‘White Other’ ethnic group dominates Salford’s ethnic minority population with a 10-20 per cent population.
Between 2001 and 2009 the City’s BME population increased from 7.4 per cent to 13.5 per cent, and from 2001 to 2010 there was a 14.5 per cent rise in minority ethnic pupils in Salford schools.
“In my culture, if it is raining and someone takes shelter on your veranda, you don’t tell them to go away. When the rain stops they move on. This applies to me at this moment – the storm is raging and I am only taking shelter; once it stops, I will find my way home.” Miwanda-Bagenda, 53, living in Salford seeking asylum from Uganda.
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