JOURNAL OF ETHNIC AND MIGRATION STUDIES 4805 The role of other interlinked factors is key. National security discourses normalise such targeting, introducing and permitting exceptionalist measures. This feeds into the racialisation of minorities, othering them and ultimately rendering their status liminal. There is a feedback loop here, where these tactics produce or entrench ethnicised state formations, and either inhibit or altogether remove the political participation of minorities. The case of Assam stands as a critical example within this broader discussion. The region exemplifies the acute challenges of citizenship attrition, illustrating the devastating impact of legal and bureaucratic measures on individuals’ lives and livelihoods. Assam’s experience underscores the urgent need for inclusive and equitable solutions that recognise the complexities of identity, migration, and historical injustices, ensuring that citizenship, a fundamental right, is not wielded as a tool of exclusion and marginalisation. The special issue highlights important areas of further research. There is a need to further study the existence and mechanisms of global transfers and learnings among regimes and political actors engaging in the undermining of citizenship and democracy. It also makes a case for greater reflection on the legal form that such mechanisms take. For instance, the international audience, particularly in relation to statelessness, must take into consideration the blind spots in legal rights and policies. Finally, the contributions as a whole show the need for taking seriously the everyday authoritarian state practices that produce and legitimise status precariousness. The special issue underscores the importance of comparative studies that could reveal the common patterns of citizenship attrition across diverse non-Western contexts, thereby enriching our global understanding of these dynamics. It also highlights the value of theory generation from the Global South. Furthermore, there is a critical demand for thorough investigations into how legal uncertainty impacts marginalised and vulnerable groups, findings from which could guide the development of more inclusive policies. Additionally, the confluence of digital technologies and bureaucratic procedures with citizenship legislation presents a rich area for new scholarly inquiry. As digital tools and bureaucratic processes increasingly dominate governance structures, comprehending their influence on citizenship frameworks is essential. Exploring these intersections is expected to provide valuable insights into the implications of technological progress and bureaucratic operations in contemporary governance. The policy implications of this special issue are both timely and critical. The detailed analyses provide a vital lens through which to view the manipulation of citizenship laws by authoritarian regimes, offering crucial lessons and warnings for those committed to upholding democratic values. The case studies presented serve not only as a reflection of current challenges but also as a guide for developing strategies to counteract the erosion of democratic structures. As we observe significant transformations in the global political landscape, the themes addressed in this special issue are poised to remain at the forefront of academic and policy discussions. Acknowledgements We thank the Leverhulme Trust-funded Rethinking Civil Society: History, Theory, Critique project at the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of York for hosting a workshop in February 2020 that originated this special issue. Papers in this special issue were presented at a workshop on 11 February 2023. We are grateful to Adil Hasan Khan, Darshana Chandra,