British Nationality: Children
(asked on 14th November 2018) - View Source
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 6 November (HL10945), whether they will now answer the question previously asked, namely how many children have had their applications for British citizenship denied because they failed the good character test in each of the last five years for which information is available.
Answered by
Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
I refer the Baroness to my previous answer.
The information which is now available indicates there were a total of 255 refusals of applications for British citizenship on character grounds under Section 41A of the British Nationality Act 1981 for minors and young persons (aged 10 to 18) in the period 2013 to 2017.
A table giving the breakdown by calendar year is given below
Refusals of applications from minors for British citizenship on grounds that the applicant was 'Not of good character' | |||
|
|
|
|
Year of decision | Refusals of registration for applicants aged 10 to 18 years under section 41A of the British Nationality Act 1981 |
|
|
2013 | 78 |
|
|
2014 | 44 |
|
|
2015 | 39 |
|
|
2016 | 59 |
|
|
2017 | 35 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: Home Office Migration Statistics Immigration Statistics year to March 2018. Subset of 'Not of good character' in table cz_09. |
|
| |
|
| ||
|
| ||
Age is calculated as at date of decision. |
| ||
We consider it appropriate to apply to minors the same criminality thresholds in the good character test that are applied to adults, and there are no current plans to review this.
10 and over is in line with the age of criminal responsibility.