House in agreement on bill to protect British citizenship of those born in UK pre-2000 to parents exercising free movement rights

The House of Commons today debated the British nationality (regularisation of past practice) bill.

Immigration spokespersons for the Conservative Party, the Labour Party and the SNP were all in the agreement on the bill, which is set to confirm the British nationality of people born in Great Britain and Northern Ireland between 1 January 1983 and 1 October 2000, to a parent who was either considered settled by using their right to free movement or registered or naturalised as a British citizen on the basis of free movement.

Alison Thewliss, the SNP home affairs spokesperson, said: “I, again, just [want] to thank the minister and perhaps [this can] be a lesson to him to bring things forward that he has consulted on and that are less contentious than the bills he usually brings forward to this House. And also to make him an offer, now that he has the whole afternoon free, I have 145 outstanding immigration cases that I’d be happy to discuss with him”.