A Home Office minister has acknowledged that Britain’s powers to strip people of their British citizenship disproportionately affect ethnic minorities — but insisted the unequal treatment is “justified” — in a letter obtained exclusively by Zeteo UK.
The admission came after ministers were challenged over claims that Britain’s citizenship deprivation laws are “racist”, “cruel” and create a “two-tier citizenship regime”.
Rather than disputing that the powers disproportionately affect ethnic minorities, the government defended the unequal impact as necessary to protect public safety and national security.
In the letter, Home Office minister Alex Norris accepts that the laws impact ethnic minorities but says that citizenship “is a privilege”.