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13 McGill L. J. 494 (1967)
Restrictive Citizenship Policies within the Commonwealth

handle is hein.journals/mcgil13 and id is 496 raw text is: Restrictive Citizenship Policies Within the Commonwealth Walter W. Toxey * Introduction Citizenship laws of the Commonwealth member countries provide evidence of two contrary developments in the last two decades: liberalization by the United Kingdom and restrictiveness by the former colonial areas. That there is racial exclusiveness in the older members, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, is well known.' That the newer Afro-Asian members have established highly restrictive citizenship laws is less widely recognized. Since 1948 the citizenship law of the United Kingdom has become a model of liberality.2 Among other lenient provisions it permits multiple nationality in that the acquisition of another nationality by adult Britons does not cause forfeiture of British nationality.3 Moreover, British law contains the common clause recognizing citizens of other Commonwealth countries (and also those of the Republic of Ireland) as British subjects and not aliens in the United Kingdom.4 British subjects, or Commonwealth citizens, may acquire United Kingdom citizenship by the relatively simple procedure of registration rather than naturalization, which is required of aliens seeking British nationality.5 The rapid expansion of the Commonwealth since the end of the Second World War has produced a multi-racial association whose member states exhibit varying degrees of development. As each new member has achieved independence, it has tended to assert its individuality by modifying various institutions borrowed from the United Kingdom. For example, the relative positions of the * Department of Government, Louisiana State University in New Orleans. 1 As in American law before 1965, this has been secured by restrictive immigration policies. 2 The British Nationality Act, 1948 (11 & 12 Geo. 6 c. 56) as amended. 3 Sect. 19. Amplified in Regulation No. 11, Nationality Regulations, 1948. 4 Sect. 1. Under the provisions of the Ireland Act, 1949 (12, 13 & 14 Geo. 6 c. 41), the Republic of Ireland is not a foreign country in the eyes of United Kingdom citizenship laws. Also see Report of the Royal Commission on Population. Cmd. 7695, 1950. 5 Sect. 6. Broad ministerial discretion to waive registration requirements is granted in Sect. 3, British Nationality Act, 1958 (6 & 7 Eliz. 2 c. 10).

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