Monday, May 16, 2022

Pakistan: The Only Country in Asia With Birthright Citizenship

Pakistan is the only country in Asia that recognizes citizenship as a birthright. Only one in four nations in the world grant citizenship to all those born within their borders, according to a review of the nationality laws reviewed by EUI Global Citizenship Observatory.  Instead of birthright citizenship, the majority of countries today have citizenship by blood, in which children inherit citizenship from their parents. 

Citizenship as Birthright. Source: Quartz

Based on a review of the nationality laws of 174 nations, only 39, or about 1 in 4, grant citizenship to people born in the country, barring exceptions to children of diplomat parents, according to an article published in QUARTZ.  

Pakistan stands out as the only nation in Asia that grants citizenship as birthright.  It is the most common practice for the countries in the Americas: Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, among others, all follow this practice. Birthright citizenship is seen as a key measure of a nation's openness to immigrants.

Birthright citizenship didn’t exist in the US at the time of its founding. It was granted as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, followed by the Fourteenth Amendment and the 1898 Supreme Court decision in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which led to the racial and ethnic diversity in the United States today.

The United Kingdom used to recognize birthright citizenship but the British government removed unconditional citizenship by birth in the British Nationality Act of 1981. Children born in the UK today can get citizenship only if they have at least one parent who’s a citizen or is a resident of the British territories. Germany loosened its policy in 2000, replacing the parent’s citizenship requirement with residency. Children born to a parent who has a German resident permit or has lived in Germany for at least eight years can get German citizenship.

Related Links:

Haq's Musings

South Asia Investor Review

Pakistan is the 7th Largest Source of Migrants in OECD Nations

Pakistani-Americans: Young, Well-educated and Prosperous

Inspirational Story of Karachi Rickshaw Driver's Daughters

Pakistan Remittance Soar 21X

Pakistan's Growing Human Capital

Two Million Pakistanis Entering Job Market Every Year

Pakistan Most Urbanized in South Asia

Hindu Population Growth Rate in Pakistan

Do South Asian Slums Offer Hope?


6 comments:

samir sardana said...

Contrast it with Dindoosthan - where Muslims and lower caste Hindus,have TO PROVE THAT THEY ARE INDIANS,AND/OR,WERE BORN IN INDIA - UNDER CAA AND NRC !

This is the test of an Islamic nation

Any person BORN in Pakistan = CITIZEN,irrespective of antecedents,or genetic lineage !

BUT WHAT IS THE IMPORT OF THAT ?

Article 15,18,19,20,23,25 of the Pakistan Constitution- which provides RIGHTS TO A CITIZEN - Thus,accrue to any person born in Pakistan !

THIS RULE,PLUS SOME GEMS OF THE PAKISTAN CONSTITUTION - MAKE IT A TRUE ISLAMIC STATE !

PAKISTAN CONSTITUTION IN ART 11,BANS SLAVERY AND FORCED LABOUR (WHICH IS NOT IN THE CONSTITUTION OF DINDOOOSTHAN)

PAKISTAN CONSTITUTION IN ART 11,BANS TORTURE - EXPLICITLY (WHICH IS NOT IN THE CONSTITUTION OF DINDOOOSTHAN)

STILL PEOPLE CALL DINDOOSTHAN A DEMOCRACY ? dindooohindoo

Zamir said...

Just wondering when was this law passed in Pakistan.

Zen, Munich said...

@Samir and Riaz:

Both India and Pakistan are very hypocritical countries in this regard.

Riaz' bragging about Pakistan is ludicrous given that not even Pakistanis are keen to apply or retain Pak. citizenship (check net immigration numbers).

Like you mentioned, India has very discriminatory policies. Indian diaspora, who expects to be treated as equals when they migrate abroad, is keen to support these discriminatory policies back in their ancestral homeland.

Hindu right is keen to promote replacement theories, which is again coming into spotlight after Buffalo shooting (but does anyone still remember Christchurch mosque shooting as well?)

Riaz Haq said...

Zen: "not even Pakistanis are keen to apply or retain Pak. citizenship (check net immigration numbers)"

Vast majority of overseas Pakistanis are dual citizens...they retain their Pakistani citizenship. Pakistani law recognizes dual citizenship.

Ahmed said...

Sir Riaz

Why don’t you post about international ranking of passports and show us what is the rank of Pakistani passport in world ?
Can you also pls make post regarding this and also explain the reasons why the ranking of Pakistani passport has dropped significantly ?

Riaz Haq said...

Ahmed: "Can you also pls make post regarding this and also explain the reasons why the ranking of Pakistani passport has dropped significantly ?"

The basic purpose of the Passport is international travel. Henley Passport Index rankings regularly make headlines but they mean nothing in practical terms.

Millions of Pakistanis travel overseas every year. Pakistan CAA reported nearly 14 million passengers flying out of the country in 2019, the year prior to the COVID pandemic.

https://caapakistan.com.pk/upload/AT/stats/2018%20-%202019-APT.pdf


Nearly 500,000 Pakistanis migrate abroad for work each year.


Pakistani diaspora is the world's 6th largest with about 10 million Pakistanis living/working abroad

https://www.riazhaq.com/2019/12/over-half-million-pakistanis-migrating.html