Countries that have banned or restricted birthright citizenship

Birthright citizenship, or jus soli, gives citizenship to people born in a country, regardless of their parents’ nationality.

About 30 countries, including the United States, still allow it, but many have banned or restricted this practice.

United States: ongoing debate

President Donald Trump proposed ending birthright citizenship with an executive order called “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship.”

He signed the order on Monday in the Oval Office after his inauguration. This order would stop automatic citizenship for babies born in the U.S. after February 19.

Legal experts argue that this challenges the 14th Amendment, which has supported birthright citizenship for over 150 years. The decision is expected to face legal challenges.

The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, passed in 1868, created birthright citizenship. It says that “all persons born” in the United States “are citizens of the United States.”

It was meant to give citizenship to freed slaves after the Civil War. This amendment also overturned the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision from 1857, which said African Americans could not be U.S. citizens.

Europe

Many European countries no longer allow birthright citizenship. These include Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and The United Kingdom. These countries require at least one parent to be a citizen or a legal resident for a child born there to receive citizenship.

Asia and the Indo-Pacific

In the Indo-Pacific region, birthright citizenship is also restricted. Countries like Thailand, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Cambodia have limited policies. In these nations, a child’s citizenship usually depends on their parents’ nationality or residency. China and Russia do not offer birthright citizenship at all.

Middle East and Africa

In the Middle East and Africa, many countries restrict birthright citizenship. Nations like Egypt, Sudan, Iran, Pakistan, and India require at least one parent to be a citizen or legal resident for a child to qualify for citizenship.

A 2016 Pew Research study said 250,000 babies were born to undocumented parents in the U.S. that year.

By 2022, 1.2 million U.S. citizens were children of undocumented parents. The Migration Policy Institute predicts that ending birthright citizenship could create 4.7 million undocumented people by 2050.

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