‘Good character’ and the moral dimensions of citizenship

• In Event: The Moral Worlds of Immigration Bureaucrats III

Abstract

British citizenship is often portrayed as a privilege rather than a right. A key aspect is the 'good character' requirement, which applies to anyone over ten who wishes to naturalise or register as a British citizen. This requirement also includes cases of deprivation, where a person can lose their citizenship for deception, fraud, or involvement in serious crime. In February 2025, the Home Office updated the 'good character requirement' to prevent anyone who has entered the UK illegally from ever being able to acquire British citizenship. The broad nature of this requirement and lack of a statutory definition gives discretion to the Home Office to judge 'good character'. As such, decisions around citizenship are, as von Rütte states, increasingly a 'matter of politics'. This presentation examines the moral dimensions of citizenship, focusing on the 'good character' requirement. It draws on data from an ongoing research project on British citizenship, including interviews with lawyers, observations of court appeals and analysis of court decisions. The presentation discusses the challenges that lawyers face in cases involving 'good character' and how the moral assessment of good character plays out during court appeals. It offers a comparative perspective by incorporating recent case studies from Switzerland, where people have been excluded from citizenship based on character assessments. These examples illustrate how moral considerations and what qualifies as 'good' character are relevant across Europe and increasingly influence access to citizenship.

Author

• Martha McCurdy, University of St. Gallen