Government proposing legal process for citizenship recalls

Norwegian PassportNorwegian Passport. Photo: Norway Today Media

The government has come up with a proposal that recall of citizenships be dealt with in the courts, in accordance with a majority motion in the Storting  passed last year.

The proposal was sent for consultation on Monday and the deadline for submitting counter proposals is 17 December.

According to the proposal, cases of recall of citizenship should be dealt with by the courts, not by the Immigration Service as per today. This proposal follows the Storting’s decision to amend the Citizens’ Act, the Ministry of Justice has stated.

– The persons concerned shall be entitled to free legal aid in these cases. This will provide better legal certainty for the individual, it said.

It is proposed that children and grandchildren as a rule cannot lose their citizenship as a result of mistakes committed by the child’s parents or grandparents, and that consideration for the best interests of the child should be a fundamental concern in matters affecting children. The proposal also want to legislate that Norwegian citizenship should not be recalled if there will be a disproportionate effect for the person or the immediate family members.

The consultation paper also refers to an alternative way of strengthening legal certainty in recall cases, where the decision is still being taken by the Immigration service with the possibility of subsequent judicial review.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today