The British Nationality (Regularisation of Past Practice) Act 2023 became law on 29 June 2023 with retrospective effect. Tens of thousands of British citizens can feel secure that their citizenship is safe against confusing, changing and at times even contradictory positions at the Home Office about the true meaning of British nationality law – particularly as it affected people born in the UK between 1 January 1983 and 1 October 2000 to someone exercising EU free movement rights; and the descendants of these people. The Home Office consultation with PRCBC, Amnesty UK, ILPA and the3Million, and its recent fast action to provide this security to so many British people is welcome, but how the need for this legislation has arisen remains a profound concern. This note for practitioners explains the position established by this new Act.
As the Government’s continues to pursue its latest immigration bill, PRCBC and Amnesty have produced this briefing in support of amendments in the names of Lord Moylan and Baroness Lister of Burtersett to remove this bill’s wholly improper interference with rights to British citizenship and other British nationality.