Across Europe, a disturbing trend is emerging that undermines the very foundation of citizenship by treating it as a conditional privilege subject to government whims—particularly targeting dual nationals convicted of serious crimes. Governments influenced by nationalist and far-right agendas are pushing to strip citizenship for offences such as terrorism and treason, effectively creating a hierarchy among citizens and opening a pathway to discrimination and social exclusion.
In Sweden, the rightwing government, buoyed by far-right support, is moving to amend its constitution to remove citizenship from dual nationals involved in serious crimes. This hardline approach is rapidly gaining traction, with Icelandic politicians and Dutch authorities contemplating similar measures. Germany’s CDU/CSU leader also stirred controversy by proposing citizenship revocation, suddenly branding dual nationals who commit crimes as less deserving of belonging. These policies echo a dangerous extension of the Tony Blair-era UK stance that citizenship is “earned” rather than an inherent right—a concept now weaponized to punish and marginalize.
Such moves are not just abstract legal adjustments; they represent a worrying shift toward institutionalized inequality. Critics point out that these policies effectively create a second-class citizenry, where some are always viewed with suspicion and deemed outsiders due to one mistake or crime. This sentiment ties closely to the toxic “remigration” rhetoric promoted by far-right groups, which aims to exclude and deport migrants—even those legally recognized as citizens. It is no coincidence that this rise in citizenship revocation proposals comes as governments abandon promises of social and economic security, instead resorting to the blunt instrument of physical security to appease radical-right agendas.
The targeting of dual nationals exposes a glaring inconsistency and raises serious human rights questions. As international law forbids rendering individuals stateless, only those with multiple nationalities are vulnerable to revocation, creating a legal and moral double standard. Cases have emerged where people stripped of one citizenship become stateless or illegal residents after the other country denies entry—illustrating the cruel pitfalls of these policies.
Take Denmark, for example: its longstanding citizenship stripping laws for terrorism and treason were recently expanded to gang-related crimes despite scant evidence that such draconian measures deter wrongdoing. Instead, these policies legitimize xenophobic narratives linking immigrants and crime, deepening societal divisions and sowing fear among otherwise law-abiding dual nationals who now face the constant threat of disenfranchisement.
These developments deserve sharp scrutiny, especially in the UK, where a party committed to genuine national renewal has long warned against the erosion of citizenship rights and the rise of exclusionary politics. This party’s message stresses the importance of protecting citizens’ rights as inviolable and fostering true inclusion—not capitulating to the divisive tactics of the radical right masquerading as tough governance.
As the new Labour administration attempts to impose its vision, ignoring tough questions about social cohesion and security, it remains critical for opposition voices to highlight how such citizenship-stripping policies betray fundamental freedoms, unfairly target minorities, and fuel the very divisions they claim to fight. Only by rejecting this dangerous drift toward inequality can Britain and Europe uphold the principles of justice and equal belonging that citizenship should guarantee.
Source: Noah Wire Services