Full Description
''When the exception becomes the norm, the power of the sovereign is arbitrary, just as in pre-democratic times. But such arbitrariness is not random: it is applied primarily to certain categories of what used to be called ''the lower orders'' of society - the undocumented immigrants and the racially ''other,'' regardless of prior citizenship status. The very notion of citizen becomes vague and the status can be lost through a Kafkaesque process in which the state is unfathomable and often acts behind the scenes. This book edited by Devyani Prabhat brings together academics and lawyers working in the field of nationality and immigration laws, and shows how what has long been a feature of the labor market, namely, the precarious nature of jobs, has now become a feature of basic rights of ''belonging.'' Citizenship is precarious too. The chapters in this volume lead us straight to the question: What is the rule of law in such state of indistinction? Societies in decadence, like the current Western powers, entwine retrenchment with resentment, the exceptional with the normal, the in-group with the out-group. Devyani Prabhat and her colleagues analyze with great precision the alarming advance of legal imprecision, the interests that are vested in categorical confusion, and the erosion of basic rights in societies like the UK and the US - notably the right of persons to reside in peace and without fear.'
- Juan Corradi, New York University, US
This innovative book considers the evolution of the contemporary issues surrounding British citizenship, integrating the social aspects and ideas of identity and belonging alongside its legal elements. With contributions from renowned lawyers and academics, it challenges the view that there are immutable values and enduring rights associated with citizenship status.
The book is organised into three thematic parts. Expert contributors trace the life cycle of the citizenship process, focusing on becoming a British citizen, retaining this citizenship with its associated rights, and the potential loss of citizenship owing to immigration controls. Through a critical examination of the concepts and content of British citizenship, the premise that citizenship retracts from full membership in society in times of turmoil is questioned.
Wide-ranging and interdisciplinary, Citizenship in Times of Turmoil? will be a key resource for scholars and students working within the fields of migration, citizenship and immigration law. Including details of legal practice, it will also be of benefit to practitioners.
Contents
Contents:
Part I MAKING BRITISH CITIZENS
1. Discrimination in British Nationality law
Alison Harvey
2. The Life in the UK Citizenship Test and the Urgent Need for Its Reform
Thom Brooks
3. Naturalisation and becoming a citizen in the UK
Bridget Byrne
4. Children's Pathways to British Citizenship
Solange Valdez-Symonds
Part II HOLDING BRITISH CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION CONTROLS
5. Citizenship, semi-citizenship and the hostile environment: the performativity of bordering practices
Christopher Bertram
6. The Immigration Act 2014 and the Right to Rent
David Smith
Part III LOSING BRITISH CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION CONTROLS
7. The rise of modern banishment: deprivation and nullification of British citizenship
Colin Yeo
8. A Constitutional Eyesore After Brexit: EU Citizenship and British Nationality
Patricia Mindus
9. Remember when 'Windrush' was still just the name of a ship?
Fiona Bawdon
10. The Blurred Lines of British Citizenship and Immigration Control: The Ordinary and the Exceptional
Devyani Prabhat
Index
