- FAQ
- Login
- Register
- Call Workpermit.com for a paid service +44 (0)344-991-9222
ESC
Welcome to immigrationboards.com!
Moderators: Casa, Amber, archigabe, batleykhan, ca.funke, ChetanOjha, EUsmileWEallsmile, JAJ, John, Obie, push, geriatrix, vinny, CR001, zimba, meself2, Administrator
I don't know whether it happens or not, mhunjn, but the rest of this thread is about "fast-tracking" high profile sports people, isn't it? You seem to be disagreeing with something I didn't saymhunjn wrote:Paul, i am sure you appreciate the fact that if and when the govt or civil service want, they can get an individual to naturalise in UK and also issue new identity papers to individuals if the situation demands. I am not saying it's common, but it is possible. Ofcourse there has to be a special circumstance to warrant the issue of these papers... security, confidentiality etc etc...
I am not talking about the average celebrity kind of thing... but more of witness protection etc etc...
I am aware of one solitary case in the last few decades where an individual gained British nationality by an Act of Parliament that was specific to him. IIRC, he was a South African businessman, and it happened in, I think, the 1970s. No idea why.tt wrote:So does the Act of Parliament route (to get fast-track citizenship) only apply to the sports type situation?
How did Precious Mckenzie (coloured South African weightlifter), Alvin Kallicharan (Guyana cricketer), David and Moira Cargill (Canadian skiers) and David Lowe (Zimbabwean swimmer) get their fast-track citizenship? All I know at the moment is that they got it fast-track, but not whether it was by Act of Parliament or not.
I'm assuming that mhunjn is referring to situations where citizenship can be fast-tracked through the royal prerogative or something (ie, by the Home Sec's discretion alone, in this case, NOT governed nor restricted by any legislation)?
I thought the residence period (for Commonwealth and Irish citizens) was raised from 12 months to 5 years in 1962.ppron747 wrote:I've barely heard of the other people you mention - I don't do sport - but I suspect I would have heard if any of them had had a special Act passed for him/her. It is worth noting that until 1973, the British Nationality Act 1948 gave Commonwealth citizens the right to be registered as citizens of the United Kingdom & Colonies after only 12 months residence in UK. This wasn't "fast-tracking" - it was the norm...
You might well be right - I haven't got any reference material with me, so can't check... What Act?JAJ wrote:I thought the residence period (for Commonwealth and Irish citizens) was raised from 12 months to 5 years in 1962.
You say this person came to England around 1958 - at that time, citizens of Commonwealth nations and the Republic of Ireland only had a 12 month residence period. This has already been pointed out in the thread.tt wrote: Born in South Africa, his home country had refused to pick him for the 1958 Empire Games because of its apartheid policy so he moved to England and won the bantamweight title for his new country in 1966 and 1970. He dropped to flyweight in 1974 and four years later returned to bantamweight to win another gold medal."
He also competed in various Olympics for the UK(/Great Britain). South Africa recently called him over from NZ (where he is now based, apparently) because they are considering doing a film about his life.
He didn't have to do his 5 years hard labour. As with the other lesser known sports people, I imagine there was some discretionary measure not based on an Act of Parliament, but then again, it might have slipped through some "Fundamental Law of England" or other
There was more flexibility on the residence requirements under the legislation as in force prior to 1983, compared to the situation under the 1981 Act.tt wrote:Thanks for trying to get to the bottom of the query. But infact (and my cross-reference is the best summary of McKenzie's story I can find on the internet at the moment), you can see it was not until 1963 that he finally refused to compete internationally for South Africa (after they had finally agreed to accept him), and was after that he went to the UK.
Your references would only apply for entry to the UK before 1962, I would imagine.
"Fast-track citizenship" can also refer to simply giving priority processing to an application for naturalisation or registration that meets the statutory requirements.Actually, the Home Office itself mentioned those sports figures I have mentioned as having been given fast-track citizenship in any case (for example, in the FOA Zola Budd papers I mentioned earlier), but I can't find anything about the "how it was done" aspect as of yet.
In the case of Zola Budd, the "flexibility" was on policy not legal grounds - section 3(1) of the British Nationality Act 1981 gives the Home Secretary an absolute discretion to register any "minor" as a British citizen.tt wrote:What.. being flexible, using several very wide coaches, with a whole herd of horses? Good topic!