LAW OF NATIONALITY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1880, 21 September 1918, Page 2

LAW OF NATIONALITY.

A CORRESPONDENT . in a Wellington contemporary has raised interesting points of the nationality law, in the following questions : nationality taken from the country in which he is born, or from his parents’ birthplace?

2. Is a person who is born and brought up in America by Australian parents an Australian or an American? The Department of Internal Affairs has supplied the following explanation: —The ■ English law of nationality is that a person is a natural-born British subject who is born within the King’s allegiance, i.e., within any portion of the British Dominions, irrespective of his father's nationality. Under (he British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act, 1914. the child born abroad of a natural-born British subject is also a natural-born British subject, but the child of a naturalised British subject is not a British subject unless born in British territory. The law of foreign countries varies, but in general it may be said that a person takes his nationality from that, of his father, irrespective of his birthplace. The American Jaw, however, follows the English, A child of Australian parents who is born and brought up in America, possesses a double nationality, lie is British by virtue of his father being a natural-born British subject, and he is an American citizen through being born on American soil. While in American territory he could not, as against the American Government, claim to be a British subject, and vice versa. The English law, however, allows him, on reaching the age of 21, to make a declaration of alienage. On making such a declaration he would cease to be a British subject.