Ghanaians, Other Nationals Could Be Barred From Being Dual Citizens of US if New Legislation Passes
- Republican and Ohio senator Bernie Moreno has proposed a bill to eliminate dual citizenship in the US
- The new legislation would require dual citizens to choose between US and foreign citizenship within a year
- Moreno, aged 58, is originally from Colombia and immigrated to the US with his family as a child before becoming a US citizen
An Ohio senator, Bernie Moreno, has tabled a bill to get rid of dual citizenship in the US.
This would mean that Ghanaians and other foreign nationals in the US will not be able to maintain Ghanaian citizenship if they naturalise.
Source: Getty Images
Current laws in the US allow people to maintain citizenship with the US and another country, provided that country permits it.
Moreno, an Ohio Republican, is originally from Colombia and immigrated to the US with his family as a child.
He became a US citizen and renounced his Colombian citizenship when he turned 18.
"… being an American citizen is an honour and a privilege − and if you want to be an American, it’s all or nothing."
USA Today reported that Moreno's bill would give dual citizens a year to renounce either their U.S. or foreign citizenship.
It says the current policy "may create conflicts of interest and divided loyalties."
Currently, a US citizen may naturalise in a foreign state without any risk to their US citizenship.
About the US dual citizenship laws
The US Department of State indicates that dual nationality means that a person is a national of two countries at the same time.
Persons may have dual nationality by the automatic operation of different laws rather than by choice.
For example, a child born in a foreign country to US national parents may be both a US national and a national of the country of birth.
Also, an individual having one nationality at birth may naturalise at a later date in another country and become a dual national.
If a foreign country's law permits parents to apply for citizenship on behalf of minor children, nothing in US law impedes US citizen parents from doing so.
US dual nationals are required to obey the laws of both countries, and either country has the right to enforce its laws.
Trump to ban third-world nationals from immigrating
US President Donald Trump plans to halt migration to America from Ghana and all other third-world countries.
Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that the decision would "allow the US system to fully recover" from immigration policies.
Source: Getty Images
He maintains that these policies have eroded the "gains and living conditions" of many Americans.
Trump, however, did not provide details of his plan or name which countries that might be affected.
Trump's comments came a day after an Afghan national was accused of shooting two members of the National Guard in Washington, DC, one of whom has died.
US Visa ban threat to Ghana
In June, YEN.com.gh reported that the Trump administration considered restricting Ghanaians from travelling to the US, along with 35 other nationalities.
At the time, over 20 African nations were facing visa bans or other restrictions.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
