Which countries, other than the US, offer birthright citizenship?

A second United States federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order which aims to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants.

“Today, virtually every baby born on US soil is a US citizen upon birth,” said Maryland District Judge Deborah Boardman. “That is the law and tradition of our country. That law and tradition are and will remain the status quo pending the resolution of this case,” she said.

Hours after taking the oath on January 20, Trump falsely claimed that the US is the “only” country with birthright citizenship. “It’s ridiculous. We are the only country in the world that does this with the birthright, as you know, and it’s just absolutely ridiculous,” he stated from the Oval Office.

The action is already on a nationwide temporary hold due to a separate lawsuit, where a Seattle-based federal judge declared the order “blatantly unconstitutional”.

In total, 22 states and several other organisations have filed lawsuits challenging the executive order that aims to redefine the meaning of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to people born in the US.

What is birthright citizenship?

Birthright citizenship is a legal principle granting automatic citizenship to anyone born within a country’s borders, regardless of their parents’ nationality or immigration status. It’s granted under the principle of jus soli (right of land).

The alternative to birthright citizenship is determining citizenship based on the nationality or citizenship of one or both parents. A person born outside the US can be granted citizenship if his/her parents are US citizens under the principle of jus sanguinis (right of blood).

The US also grants citizenships through a naturalisation process, which requires specific legal documents, such as residency, language proficiency and passing a citizenship test.

How long has the US had birthright citizenship?

The United States has upheld birthright citizenship for more than 150 years, ever since the 14th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1868.

“All persons born or naturalised in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside,” it states.