Question for all: Is Obama legally entitled to dual American/British citizenship?

[TheWraith]

I just was reading the British Nationality Act of 1948, and unless I read it wrong, it says that the first generation children of a British citizen (including "citizens" of the British colonies at that time) are recognized by law as British citizens.

Now as far as I'm aware, Obama's father would have legally been a British citizen when he first came to America to study. And unless his father renounced that citizenship prior to Obama's birth, wouldn't that mean Obama is legally entitled to dual citizenship?

[ginnyinWI]

1. why does it matter? n/t

[TheWraith]

2. Probably doesn't. But I was curious.

It also makes me wonder how many presidents we've had who could claim dual citizenship.

[Angleae]

13. Wilson might have been.

His mother was born in England.

[Posteritatis]

3. A broader, related question:

Are there many (or any!) dual-citizenship heads of state or government out there? You've got me curious about how high up the various governmental chains dual citizens can get globally.

[cali]

7. Obama is not a dual citizen. He's an American citizen.

[Posteritatis]

11. I did not say otherwise. (nt)

[tabatha]

4. No.

he had the option to take it up to the age of 23.
He did not.

He no longer has that option.

[TheWraith]

8. Ah hah. Good to know, thank you.

Though now I still wonder if/how many dual-citizenship presidents we've had. It might well be zero...

[dmallind]

5. Not under US law

UK law sees me for example as a dual citizen (I was born there, but similar concept). US law doesn't. They see me as a US citizen and nothing else.

[cali]

6. His British citizenship expired in 1980.

[struggle4progress]

9. Could President Obama be British? Probably not

Barack .. born .. in Honolulu .. was both a US citizen and a citizen of the United Kingdom .. because .. born to a father who was a UKC subject. However, the boy .. lost .. British citizenship when Kenya .. gained .. independence .. He had dual citizenship .. until the age of 23, when Kenya's constitution stipulates Kenyan citizens who possess citizenship in more than one country automatically lose .. Kenyan nationality. Unless they .. renounce any non-Kenyan citizenship and swear .. allegiance to Kenya, they are no longer seen as citizens of Kenya. As Obama did neither .. his Kenyan citizenship expired in 1984 ... http://www.politics.co.uk/news/foreign-policy/could-president-obama-be-british-probably-not-$1344518.htm

Does Barack Obama have Kenyan citizenship? (FactCheck)
http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/does_barack_obama_have_kenyan_citizenship.html

[cali]

10. The facts:

No. He held both U.S. and Kenyan citizenship as a child, but lost his Kenyan citizenship automatically on his 23rd birthday.

The Rocky Mountain News did in fact run an online article asserting that Barack Obama holds both American and Kenyan citizenship. The article was incorrect, and the paper removed the item from the article and ran a correction. The paper's editor, John Temple, formally apologized for the error in an Aug. 15, 2007, column. Neither the correction nor the apology has prevented the column from circulating across the Internet as part of the latest set of baseless rumors that Obama is ineligible to run for president.

There was a grain of truth to what the Rocky Mountain News reported, though understanding why requires a brief history lesson.

When Barack Obama Jr. was born on Aug. 4,1961, in Honolulu, Kenya was a British colony, still part of the United Kingdom's dwindling empire. As a Kenyan native, Barack Obama Sr. was a British subject whose citizenship status was governed by The British Nationality Act of 1948. That same act governed the status of Obama Sr.'s children:

British Nationality Act of 1948 (Part II, Section 5): Subject to the provisions of this section, a person born after the commencement of this Act shall be a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies by descent if his father is a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies at the time of the birth.

In other words, at the time of his birth, Barack Obama Jr. was both a U.S. citizen (by virtue of being born in Hawaii) and a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies (or the UKC) by virtue of being born to a father who was a citizen of the UKC.

Obama's British citizenship was short-lived. On Dec. 12, 1963, Kenya formally gained its independence from the United Kingdom. Chapter VI, Section 87 of the Kenyan Constitution specifies that:

1. Every person who, having been born in Kenya, is on 11th December, 1963 a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies or a British protected person shall become a citizen of Kenya on 12th December, 1963...

2. Every person who, having been born outside Kenya, is on 11th December, 1963 a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies or a British protected person shall, if his father becomes, or would but for his death have become, a citizen of Kenya by virtue of subsection (1), become a citizen of Kenya on 12th December, 1963.

As a citizen of the UKC who was born in Kenya, Obama's father automatically received Kenyan citizenship via subsection (1). So given that Obama qualified for citizen of the UKC status at birth and given that Obama's father became a Kenyan citizen via subsection (1), it follows that Obama did in fact have Kenyan citizenship after 1963. So The Rocky Mountain News was at least partially correct.

But the paper failed to note that the Kenyan Constitution prohibits dual citizenship for adults. Kenya recognizes dual citizenship for children, but Kenya's Constitution specifies that at age 23, Kenyan citizens who possesses citizenship in more than one country automatically lose their Kenyan citizenship unless they formally renounce any non-Kenyan citizenship and swear an oath of allegiance to Kenya.

Since Sen. Obama has neither renounced his U.S. citizenship nor sworn an oath of allegiance to Kenya, his Kenyan citizenship automatically expired on Aug. 4,1984.

http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/does_barack_obama_have_kenyan_citizenship.html

[dtotire]

12. US court rulings on dual citizenshipt

US court rulings
on
dual citizenship


http://www.richw.org/dualcit/


The laws in different countries vary. I think Americans born in Canada or Mexico have dual citizenship.
My father was not naturalized when I was born, therefore I understand I can be considered an Italian citizen if I cared to live there. The author of the site holds dual citizenship of the U.S. and Canada, his son, who was born in the U.S. is also a dual citizen. I believe the same is true of Mexicans.