Citizenship: Meaning, Types, & Importance|UPSC Notes

Citizenship is the legal status describing the status of an individual in a certain state. It provides human beings rights duties and obligations within the country in which one lives and has their residence. A man can become a citizen through birth or by a legal act, for instance, naturalization. It gives several rights and duties right to vote, get employment, and live or stay in a country plus a duty to obey their laws. Citizenship is a factor in the formation of national identity. It binds an individual to the political, social, and economic systems of a country. A citizen receives protection from the state, but he also serves the state. In the present, citizenship is not just a legal status but a means to participate in the development of a nation.

• Citizenship can be obtained through birth, descent, registration, or naturalization.
• Citizens are entitled to fundamental rights which include equality and freedom of speech.
• Every citizen has a duty to the state, including observing set regulations and paying taxes
• Citizenship provides for social welfare in terms of health care and education

Types of Citizenship

Citizenship is of various types about how it is achieved. Each type of citizenship grants similar rights, though processes on how one obtains them depend on the laws of a given country. The most common types are:

Birthright Citizenship (Jus Soli)

This type of citizenship is automatically bestowed upon children born within a country’s borders, regardless of the nationality of one parent. This is a typical occurrence in countries like the United States. Birthright citizenship means all citizens born within the country must enjoy all rights and protections under the law.

Citizenship by Descent (Jus Sanguinis)

Citizenship by descent is attained through one’s parents. It gets passed down to children based on inheritance, which they usually acquire from their ancestry in the family. Most countries allow citizenship to children born abroad if one of the parents is a citizen in the place. It involves putting much emphasis on lineage while trying to define national belonging.

Naturalization

It involves the process where immigrants become citizens after meeting residency, language, and other requirements specified by law. These normally include background checks, interviewing, and taking the oath of allegiance. Naturalized citizens hold the same rights as born citizens, making it more diverse.

Citizenship by Registration

Some countries offer citizenship by registration. This usually applies to subjects with specific attachments, which may include marriage to a citizen or long-term stay. It is not nearly as stringent as naturalization but differs from country to country. It also assists in reinforcing family ties and social integration in the country.

Dual Citizenship

This gives an opportunity for individuals to hold two citizenships concurrently. This offers flexibility to travel, work, or reside in more than one country. However, in respect to laws of the country, a dual citizen will be obliged to pay taxes and may also be required to offer military service according to each country’s laws.

Importance of Citizenship

It’s important because citizenship gives individuals a sense of belonging and identity in a country. It is through citizenship that people exercise their political rights, which include voting and participating in governance. Citizens in democratic countries have the power to influence laws and policies. Without citizenship, individuals face difficulties in getting legal rights and protections.

Citizenship also provides public amenities, including health care, education, and employment. Citizens enjoy protection from their government if they are abroad. They can issue a passport that allows them to travel and return to their country freely.

Citizens’ Rights

Citizens have various rights that are different in each country. Some of the citizenship rights include:

• Right to Vote: Probably this is one of the most important rights the citizens enjoy: voting to elect in polls. A citizen has the right to elect their leaders hence influencing policies.
• Right to Work: Citizens are at liberty to seek employment with or without a restriction while, on the other hand, non-citizens require a work permit to do so.
• Right to Education: Governments offer free or subsidized education to their citizens so that they may gain quality learning opportunities.
• Right to Freedom of Speech: The citizen has a right to say anything, although, in the name of freedom, there could be restrictions put on him for public welfare.
• Right to Health Services: In most of countries, citizens can be availed of a healthcare system through which citizens get well maintained.

Duties of Citizens

As duties are accompanied by the rights of citizenship, a person has certain duties also, which are very crucial in maintaining the social and political conditions of the country. Major duties include:

• Obey Laws: Citizens ought to observe their country’s rules and laws. Observe the rules of society since laws promote peace in a community.
• Pay taxes: paying taxes is significant in sourcing revenues for the provision of public services by governments. Tax-paying is therefore considered to be a right citizen’s responsibility.
• Vote: voters are privileged because of both their right and mandate in their future country- a better representation.
• Serving on a Jury: In some countries, citizens are obligated to serve on juries in order to ensure that justice is administered fairly.
• National Service: In other countries, citizens are forced to serve in the military or engage in other forms of national service.

Dual Citizenship

There is dual citizenship in some countries, whereby a citizen enjoys being a citizen of two countries at the same time. The benefits lie in those people who spend their lives between or who have powerful contacts with more than one country. However, not all countries permit dual citizenship and, where allowed, sometimes comes with strings attached. People are expected to declare allegiance to both countries while following the rules of the two countries.

Double citizenship holds many advantages, such as freedom to travel, getting the right to take services under social schemes, and exercising both countries’ privileges or the right to work anywhere in the nation. Problems related to taxation in two states may arise, and obligation for militia service in some countries also may be unavoidable.

Global Citizenship

Globalization has brought forth the concept of global citizenship. Global citizenship is to be identified as a citizen of the world and not that of a specific nation. The interest of a human being in human rights, environmental sustainability, and world peace falls under global citizenship. Global citizenship does not have a legal standing, like national citizenship. Rather, it is more a kind of thinking that defines a group of people to be responsible for the entire world and all the people living in it.

Global citizenship encourages people to join the international work of curbing climate change, eliminating poverty, and safeguarding human rights. Cooperation in crossing borders takes on a collective responsibility concerning the future of the world.

Obstacles of Statelessness

Not everyone enjoys the privilege of citizenship. Statelessness is a significant issue that affects millions of people all over the world. A stateless person is an individual who does not possess citizenship in any country. This can occur for many reasons, including discriminatory laws, political changes, or displacement due to conflict.

The lives of stateless people are unbearable at times. No legal protection, no services like education or health facilities, and sometimes they will not have the right to work or travel. To end these issues of statelessness, international organizations are working to promote the right of all citizens to citizenship. 

The Procedure for Citizenship

The process of becoming a citizen varies from country to country, but in general, it is a long process involving several steps: background checks, interviews, and the submission of documents. Once granted, however, it allows for full rights and privileges of being part of the nation.  Applicants for naturalization must, among other things, have met the following conditions:

• Residency Requirements: Applicants should have lived in the country for several years.
• Language Proficiency: Most of the countries ask the applicants to prove their proficiency in the national language.
• Knowledge of National Laws and Culture: The exam may be related to history, government, and country laws.
• Clean Character: In most countries, a clean criminal record helps a person to get citizenship.
• Oath of Allegiance: Most are expected to swear an oath of allegiance to the country.

Loss of Citizenship

Citizenship is an acquired status for life; however, it may be lost. A citizen may renounce his or her citizenship if he or she acquires another nationality or does not wish to be a citizen of any particular country. Sometimes the government withdraws citizenship status due to reasons like treason, fraud during the naturalization process, or because of long-term residence outside the country without doing a certain number of duties.

For example, in some countries, citizens holding dual citizenship are prohibited from holding public office, especially sensitive ones like defense or law enforcement. 

Conclusion

Citizenship is not only a legal status but a relationship of persons to their country. It determines rights and obligations, provides security through the state, and clarifies people’s duties in their society and country governance. Whether by birth, descent, or naturalization, citizenship performs a crucial role in defining national identity and belonging on earth.