PETITIONOpenPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Stop automatically classifying people as “British by descent” without consent
Stop automatically classifying people born abroad as “British by descent” if they have a British parent. They should retain their entitlement to hold British citizenship as at present, but this should be through their active choice and application, rather than being automatic without their consent.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
26
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 26/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 26/100,000
Background
From 25 February, those holding British citizenship, including any classified by “British by descent”, must travel to UK on a UK passport (cost around £100), renounce their citizenship (even if they never wanted it) costing £482, or obtain a “certificate of entitlement” costing £589. We view these as a financial penalty for those classified as British against their wishes. The rules apply to people just transiting through the UK, whereas non-Brits only require an ETA costing £16.