Risk of statelessness arising from discrimination in provisions on deprivation of nationality Most Index countries distinguish between single and multiple nationality holders for the purposes of safeguarding against statelessness in their legislation on loss or deprivation of nationality. International law warns against discrimination between single and multiple nationality holders. While such discrimination may be intended to avoid statelessness, the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance has reminded States that the ‘protection of mono nationals from statelessness cannot be a legal justification or defence for exposing dual nationals to citizenship stripping’.47 Such a distinction could constitute direct discrimination on the basis of ‘national or social origin’.48 12 of the Index countries with provisions on deprivation of nationality distinguish between naturalised and birthright nationals, including Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Ireland, Italy, and Latvia. Such measures discriminate between nationals according to how they acquired their nationality. This type of distinction is often found in provisions relating to deprivation on national security grounds and risks disproportionately impacting on minority communities, reinforcing already present racialised inequalities. Insufficient safeguards against derivative loss of nationality In Austria, deprivation of nationality extends to the individual’s spouse and/or children, even if their nationality was acquired legitimately. In Poland, although renunciation of nationality can only take place if the individual holds another nationality, there is no explicit requirement to prove that minor children covered by the application also hold another nationality and will not become stateless as a result of the renunciation.