The British government has been urged to change policy to make it easier for people born in Donegal to get British passports.
Thousands of citizens across the United Kingdom, many of them in Northern Ireland, who were born a few miles across the border in the Irish Republic after 1948 are currently not allowed to get a British passport without paying £1,300 and taking a ‘Life in the UK’ Britishness test.
The DUP MP Gregory Campbell has asked the British Minister of State for Immigration Robert Jenrick to look into the problem.
The DUP has been campaigning for people from the East Donegal and Laggan area, and all of the 26 counties, for over 70 years.
“Technically, even though they reside in the UK, have lived in the UK for decades, are taxpayers in the UK and vote in the UK, they cannot get a British passport without naturalising at a cost of £1,300,” Mr Campbell said.
“They have the support of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee of this House and they have cross-community support in Northern Ireland.”
Mr Campbell raised the question at Westminster during a debate on the British Nationality (Regularisation of Past Practice) Bill last week.
Mr. Jenrick replied: “This is an issue that I am aware of and I would be happy to have a further conversation with him and to give it further thought.
“We want a fair system whereby British citizenship is available to all those who are naturalised and who have lived here for sustained periods, and a system that is as accessible as possible.”
