Deprivation of citizenship

Polity & Governance glossary

Topic: Citizenship: Idea and Indian Law · NCERT: Beyond NCERT

Meaning

Deprivation of citizenship means the government takes away a person's citizenship against their will. It is covered by Section 10 of the Citizenship Act 1955. It can happen only after an inquiry, and only to people who became citizens by registration or naturalisation. The grounds are:

  • fraud in getting citizenship
  • disloyalty to the Constitution
  • trading or communicating with the enemy during a war
  • 2 or more years in prison within 5 years of registration or naturalisation
  • 7 years' continuous residence outside India.

Example

Suppose a person who was naturalised as an Indian citizen is later found to have hidden key facts in the application. After an inquiry, the government can order that the person be deprived of citizenship for fraud.

Don't confuse with

  • Termination of citizenship: this happens automatically when a citizen takes another country's citizenship. Deprivation needs a government order.
  • A common trap: "deprivation can apply to a citizen by birth" is false.

Related concepts

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