T H E G L O B A L S TAT E O F C I T I Z E N S H I P 4. Security of status Lead author: Luuk van der Baaren Citizenship stripping is back on the political agenda. In Europe, for example, in the first half of 2025, a Swedish government inquiry recommended a constitutional overhaul allowing for the revocation of Swedish citizenship from individuals threatening national security. Meanwhile, a leaked proposal shows that Germany’s coalition parties discussed the revocation of citizenship for “supporters of terrorism, antisemites, and extremists”, and Hungary introduced a highly controversial constitutional amendment to allow for the temporary suspension of citizenship on security grounds. What is citizenship stripping? Citizenship law not only regulates how you can acquire citizenship, but also how you can lose it. Revoking citizenship is highly contentious. Being deprived of one’s most fundamental legal status carries profound consequences, such as losing citizens’ rights and, in some cases, becoming stateless and unable to return to any country. In most countries, individuals are permitted to voluntarily renounce their citizenship, provided that they will not become stateless. However, states may also decide to revoke citizenship involuntarily. The grounds for citizenship stripping are often security-related, as such measures are often justified as a means of protecting national interests or preserving the security of the state. The practice of citizenship stripping has sparked significant debate, particularly in the context of an increasing securitisation of citizenship in the post-9/11 era. These developments raise an important question: to what extent is the status of citizenship as a secure legal status being undermined? This section explores the global incidence of security-related citizenship revocation provisions, recent legislative trends, and the extent to which these align with international legal standards. 4.1 PREVALENCE OF SECURIT Y-RELATED MODES OF CITIZENSHIP DEPRIVATION Share of countries with type of deprivation rule | 191 countries | 2024 Service in foreign army 37% Other service to a foreign country 39% Other offences 41% Disloyalty or state security 69% 191 No of countries Deprivation ground exists YES NO Source: GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset, v3 | modes L03, L04, L07, L08 25