THEMATIC BRIEFING | JULY 2021 Deprivation of nationality and the prevention of statelessness in Europe 5 3. DEPRIVATION OF NATIONALITY IN EUROPE: A REGIONAL OVERVIEW Global and regional reports show that deprivation of nationality is on the rise and is increasingly being used by States as a counterterrorism measure. Some European countries are leading this trend.12 The Index data shows that of the 27 countries included, nine have amended their legislation since 2010 to expand powers to deprive someone of their nationality on national security grounds. There has also been an increase in the use of deprivation of nationality as a sanction for fraudulent acquisition of nationality. This expansion of powers has not been accompanied by automatic safeguards against statelessness. Only eight Index countries explicitly prohibit statelessness arising from deprivation of nationality. The extent to which powers to deprive nationality where it would lead to statelessness are applied is unclear. Experts report a lack of transparency around how deprivation powers are exercised with many facing difficulties accessing this information. Deprivation of nationality: How Statelessness Index countries compare ++ + +/- - -- POSITIVE SOMEWHAT POSITIVE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SOMEWHAT NEGATIVE NEGATIVE CZECH REPUBLIC GERMANY13 ALBANIA AUSTRIA PORTUGAL HUNGARY BELGIUM BULGARIA MOLDOVA CROATIA CYPRUS NORTH MACEDONIA FRANCE ITALY POLAND GREECE MALTA SERBIA IRELAND UNITED KINGDOM SLOVENIA LATVIA SPAIN NETHERLANDS NORWAY SWITZERLAND UKRAINE