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 ed for committing a serious crime against Belgium, as long as this would not make you stateless. Service in a foreign army or other service If you serve in a foreign army, you risk losing your citizenship in 70 countries. Citizens in 52 countries can lose citizenship in this way, while in 18 countries, such deprivation only applies to certain groups of citizens, typically those who acquired citizenship by naturalisation. For example, in Chad, naturalised citizens can be stripped of their citizenship for holding a position in a foreign army. In some countries, you can lose your citizenship when you provide military service to hostile states, while in others, service to any foreign military puts your citizenship status at risk. However, in most cases, a person can only be deprived of their citizenship if a warning has been issued, and they fail to abandon military service after that. In the Chadian case, for example, citizens can only lose citizenship on this ground if they keep their position in a foreign military for more than six months after being instructed to resign. Providing other (non-military) services to a foreign state can sometimes also lead to the loss of citizenship. Depending on the country, such measures can be imposed for holding a foreign elected office, working for certain foreign state agencies, or even accepting a civil service position in another country in general. The loss provision is applicable to all citizens in 45 countries, while in 30 countries, it only applies to certain groups of citizens, typically those who acquired citizenship by naturalisation. Just as with military service, the provisions often state that you can only be stripped of your citizenship if a warning has been issued first that you must resign from your position, and you subsequently fail to comply. Disloyalty, state security, or other offences Citizens can have their status revoked for acts seen as disloyal to the state or acts that threaten national security or a country’s constitutional order in many countries globally. This includes crimes like treason, espionage, or attempting to overthrow a country’s government. Joining a terrorist organisation is also a common example of the kind of conduct that can trigger the revocation of citizenship. The provision is applicable to all groups of citizens in 43 countries, while in 89 countries it is restricted to certain groups of citizens (usually citizens by naturalisation). For example, if you are a Belgian national and you acquired your citizenship other than by birth, you can be deprived of your citizenship if you violated your duties as a national or if you have been convict27 Citizens can only lose their citizenship if a court has convicted them of a crime against the security of the state or a crime against the interests of the state in a large share of countries. In other states, harming state security or state interests can be sufficient reason for loss of citizenship even without a prior conviction. In some cases, it is specified which acts can lead to citizenship stripping, such as in Germany, where you can lose your citizenship if you have been actively fighting for a terrorist militia abroad. However, in most cases, the provisions are broad and rather ambiguous, referring to acts as “serious crimes against the country” (Bulgaria) or acts that “harm the country’s prestige” (Vietnam). These provisions tend to be particularly broad in scope if only naturalised citizens are affected. You can lose your citizenship due to criminal offences in 79 countries. Usually, this will be the case for those persons who are convicted of a serious crime. In many of these countries, a person can only be stripped of their citizenship if they have been sentenced to imprisonment for a certain period, ranging from twelve months to ten years. This loss provision is applicable to all citizens in four countries, while it is restricted to certain groups of citizens (usually citizens by naturalisation) in 75 countries. In the countries where the provision is applicable only to naturalised citizens, the crime must usually have been committed within a certain time period after citizenship was acquired (e.g. five or ten years). Once this period has passed, a criminal conviction can no longer undermine one’s citizenship. Citizenship stripping: A violation of international standards? Security-related deprivation of citizenship creates a risk of arbitrary deprivation of citizenship, which is generally considered to be contrary to international customary law. An analysis of the GLOBALCIT data raises concerns about the possibility of citizenship stripping without due process, particularly in cases where the procedure is a lapse rather than by an act of deprivation. The broad and ambiguous wordings of many provisions may also give way to citizenship stripping without a legitimate purpose or disproportionate effects. Contrary to international standards as outlined in the Principles on Deprivation of Nationality as a National Security Measure, many states’ loss provisions do not provide for adequate safeguards against statelessness. This can