Surge in Citizenship Revocations in France Amid Security Concerns

A total of 41 people were stripped of their French citizenship, in 2024, according to Les Jours statistics.

Following years of terrorism-related crisis, authorities in France have tightened their measures in the country’s fight against security threats, Schengen.News reports.

According to Article 25 of the Civil Code, the measure applies to those who have acquired nationality in France and have been involved in serious acts such as terrorism.

However, concerns have been raised related to the scope of civil rights and how France is using this legal instrument.

Those From Maghreb Countries Most Affected

When it comes to the loss of French nationality, the nationalities most affected were those from Maghreb countries, specifically, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia.

The loss of nationality is used as a way to eliminate internal potential threats and is perceived to be connected to international terrorism, according to a report from Observ Algerie.

The same emphasises that authorities in France often considered the revocation of nationality as an effective way of strengthening the country’s security, in particular, related to terrorism attacks which France has been subject to several times in the past few years.

However, in spite of the results in France’s fight against terrorism, the measure has raised concerns related to human rights and citizenship.

In several cases, questions arise related to the fairness of the measure particularly when it affects persons who grew up in France and also live in this country.

In addition, uncertainties also arise about how authorities in France choose to implement this measure, which sometimes is considered a tool for managing national crises related to security.

Tightened Birthright Citizenship Rules

Earlier this month, the Parliament of France adopted a bill to limit access to French citizenship for children born in its overseas areas of Mayotte.

The new changes come amid increasing irregular migration to the French overseas territories.

In addition, earlier this year, authorities in France announced tightened citizenship requirements.

The new language requirements announced by authorities in France in February this year could impact more than 300,000 internationals who are currently remaining in this country.

Based on local media reports, once the measure becomes effective, internationals who no longer meet language requirements could lose their right to remain in France, after failing the language test could result in losing their residence permit.

The new language rules were announced in January this year by French authorities, however have not been implemented yet.