We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
THE UK GOVERNMENT and the opposition Labour party have both declared their support for a DUP-sponsored bill that would make it easier for Irish citizens to obtain British citizenship.
The bill in its original form would allow people born in the Republic of Ireland after 31 December 1948 to register as British citizens and get a British passport if they have lived in Northern Ireland for five years.
The UK government intends to add amendments to that text though, one of which would remove the 1948 condition.
UK immigration minister Tom Pursglove said today: “I’m pleased to confirm that the bill has the support of the government, subject to some proposed changes at committee stage.”
Those changes would also expand the scope of the bill beyond just Northern Ireland, and apply to Irish citizens living anywhere in the UK.
The bill was introduced by DUP deputy leader Gavin Robinson and passed its second reading in the House of Commons today.
The British Citizenship (Northern Ireland) Bill 2023-24 aims to “extend provision for British citizenship, including the right to hold a British Passport, to those born in the Republic of Ireland since 1949 and who have then settled in and made Northern Ireland their home,” a DUP statement said.
While people born in Northern Ireland are entitled to Irish and/or British citizenship, those born in the Republic of Ireland who have moved north of the border currently have to go through the standard naturalisation process. This new bill would make things simpler.
There are some limitations on top of the five-year requirement though.
If someone was absent from Northern Ireland for more than 450 days over the five years of residency, or 90 days in the final year, they would not qualify for registration for citizenship.
Applicants would also still have to take part in a citizenship ceremony and they would not be exempt from the associated fees charged by the UK Home Office.
The key differences between the new registration process and the existing naturalisation process are that people would not need to do a citizenship test or demonstrate their intention to stay in the UK long term.
The bill would also apply to Irish citizens born outside of Ireland.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Is this really something that’s in demand?
@Tricia G: oh they are really really not liking the fact that the catholic/nationalist population are now the majority in the north…..they were happy enough to play along with the good Friday agreement once they kept the position of first minister….now the shoe is on the other foot they don’t want to play …..i have never been political but as an ordinary person this has now shown the unionist/loyalists for what they are …i think even there own are sick of them….its obvious London dosnt want them either
@Tricia G: A lot of so called Unionists, raced to get an Irish passport when Brexit came about. I know several who did but wouldn’t want it to be known in their own community.
@Tricia G: No, but there’s huge demand for Irish Passports after Brexit for some reason, lol
@Jimmy Wallace: you really need to get yourself a hobby, something to occupy your mind, instead of trying to start fights with strangers online, because that’s no life for anyone
@Jimmy Wallace: it’s getting to ya! Lol
@Jimmy Wallace: sarcasm goes straight over lol
@Rex Tynan: Clearly everything goes straight over you!
@Tricia G: The British passport is currently ranked 3rd place on the Guide Passport Index. It provides visa-free access to 193 countries. This makes it one of the most desirable passports in the world with a very high mobility score.
@and the hit’s just keep coming: I’m sure you wouldn’t have a problem with a political party in Leinster house made up of Black and Tans . FF/FG in the 26 counties don’t want anything to do with SF either . Neither party wants to form a coalition with them . FF/FG got together to stop SF being in power in the ROI . As for they don’t want a nationalist first minister is bull . If the first minister was in any other nationalist party then no unionist would have a problem . You may not have notice but SF/IRA attempted to carry out mass murder in NI and now everyone is ment to sit in Stormont and play politics with them because their terror campaign failed .
@Tricia G: When I was in Lanzarote a while ago they let passengers through with a GB passport first and held back the EU ones.
@Jack Moss: where did SF come into the conversation….SF are not ready to lead a kindergarten day out let alone a country…..re the troubles i think ya need to re check your compus on that one …. murders where carried out on both sides not just the pretend IRA because as an Irish man the ira stood down when we became a free state … anything after that is agents the will of the people so not representing what the majority of the people wanted after the treaty…..so plastic Provo’s…..i think you will find the first first minister had alot of blood on his hands as did the deputy first minister…..but its called a pieces process voted on in a democracy….and the loyalists only want democracy if they get to run the show…. that’s a dictatorship…… don’t be a Muppet all your life
@Tricia G: DUP doing DUP things to draw attention away from Stormont issues.
@Pat Barry: 2024 passport rankings:
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore and Spain: with a score of 194
Finland, South Korea and Sweden: 193
Austria, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands: 192
Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal and the UK: 191.
@Patrick MC Dermott:
I was behind a certain Ian Pasley Junior one day in Dublin Airport, and he was proudly supporting and showing his Irish Passport..!
@Lulu: Obviously different ranking systems out there then, like universities, gdp etc.
@Tricia G: This DUP guy will avail of it as he kicked up such a fuss for a couple of decades. Then probably nobody else will ever.
At this point this is pure farce, who in their right mind would want a UK passport. I was born in Liverpool and I wouldn’t exchange my Irish passport for all the tea in China, esp for a UK one….let the Unionists fight over the measurement of pint glasses.
@Marcus Maher – Triskellion Films: It’s not exchanging it, it obtaining it in addition. You never know when another Kabul might strike…
@RT TR: you’re at nothing trying to explain it to the ignorant, brainless tools who frequent this bellowing chamber
@RT TR: Sorry run that past me again? What has Kabul got to do with obtaining a UK passport, or not, am I missing something here?
@Rex Tynan: Is their something coded in that response Rex that I’m missing?
@Marcus Maher – Triskellion Films: essentially it means that there are some benefits to having a UK passport if you are caught up in difficulty overseas.
As someone like my self who travels the world for a living there have been occasions Iv been caught up in conflicts or disasters when it would have been a lot easier to extract myself from those locations had I had the support of the British foreign office.
Having said that I have generally managed fine with my Irish passport but with all this talk of a new global conflict ya never know!
@Marcus Maher – Triskellion Films: if there is, you probably wouldn’t understand, so no point worrying about it
@T S: When I was so much younger than today, Irish overseas workers in certain parts of the world were often taken around the locals to make it known they were not British.
There were very many places where being British was not a good thing.
These days, the Yanks seem to have overtaken the Brits in that respect.
Sad attempt to boost their numbers, yesterday we were a ‘Foreign Country’ today we are potential Unionists.
If you’re off to Australia, like everyone else, and you have the UK passport option then take it. You can stay for 2 years without hard labour, unlike with the the Irish passport.
@RT TR: that’s true
@William Slevin: Don’t keep yourself down in the world, you can do it!
What possible benefit would a British passport have over an Irish passport. Especially after brexit?
They are really scraping the barrel now
This can only be in the hope that they might make up their dwindling numbers by getting West Brits on side
Cymru am.byth. Duw bendithia ein Tywysog dhe Tywysoges.
@Coc Caled: Strepsils should sort you out.
@Coc Caled: We don’t have Princes and Princesses thankfully..
@Jamie Hinch: we have plenty of princesses, mostly male
@Jamie Hinch: Elizabeth/ Hugh O’Neill
In 1603, two dynasties fell.
Elizabeth 1 died childless: the Tudors lost the Crown. And Hugh O’Neill surrendered to the English: over a thousand years of Gaelic monarchy ended.
O’Neill died in despair in 1616. But history had not abandoned him.
He left a daughter, Sorcha O’Neill, who married an Irish aristocrat, a Magennis of Iveagh. Ten generations later, one of her descendants became Lady Glamis. In 1900, she had a daughter Elizabeth Bowes Lyon.
Elizabeth was the mother of Elizabeth Windsor. In 1952, she became the Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Elizabeth 11 embodied a dynasty which
Elizabeth I had been at pains to destroy.
Stick your passport, thanks!
UK passport still more valuable world wide than any other passport bar US passport, BreXit didn’t change the economics behind the weight of nationality..
@patrick kelly: What can you do with it that you can’t do with say an Irish passport? I know you can’t stay in any EU country for more than 90 days consecutively since Brexit which is why so many uk citizens have been applying for Irish passports given that they voted to restrict their own freedom of movement there.
have your say