Why do you jump to the conclusion I’m just British? I’ve actually had very deep associations with both London and Dublin from childhood onwards. I’ve held both passports for over fifty years. I wouldn’t mind a French one too, as others here have obtained. But despite my long term commitment to France I don’t think I’m French enough.
As for keyboard warrior, I would love to explain my point of view to you face to face. I know many people who have acquired Irish passports since Brexit and good luck to them, I’m all for people availing of whatever “loopholes”, for want of a better word, that exist.
But that doesn’t change my view that just adopting citizenship of a country for convenance isn’t what citizenship should be all about.
Ireland’s independence was hard won and the subsequent years included a civil war that dived society until well into the seventies, dreadful poverty and the domination of a malign Catholic Church. These were big prices to pay and all citizens should be aware of them.
However she continues to punch well above her weight on the World stage and being a citizen of the Country should be seen as a privilege, something to be proud of, not just an airport fast track pass.
There’s nothing offensive in my thinking that, and I think most rational people, even those that have availed of the law, would agree.
Just as an aside, how deep is you affiliation with Ireland, how often have or do you and/or your partner visited Ireland. Do you, for example, know why this “loophole” exists?
One of the problems I had was that many records were destroyed in a fire affecting the Records Office in 1922 during the Civil War. There was no trace of my grandparents’ wedding certificate that should have dated from about 1910, so I included the documents I had (birth and death certs for both, and my mother’s birth cert) together with a covering letter explaining the marriage and that was deemed sufficient.
A further complication if you’re searching for Irish ancestors is that in the 19th Century (and possibly at other times) Irish birth certificates were written in Latin which doesn’t have equivalents for many names that originated from the same root.
As an example, my Grandfather (John) was recorded as Johannes, as was his brother Jack. Luckily I knew his birthdate so could identify the correct one.
Completely agree. That well known publication, the EU border guards guide is clear and helpful. It says (paraphrasing from memory) that for non EU citizens accompanying their EU spouses on their travels, as long as they both never spend more than 3 months in any 1 EU country at a time, they can carry on doing this more or less indefinitely, irrespective of the normal Schengen limits of 90 days in any 180 days.
As I’m spending more than 3 months here accompanying my EU wife (ie as a French permanent resident), I am obliged to get a CdS by EU regs. Irrespective of the obligation, I have needed to show the authorities and/or regulated organisations that I have a valid CdS (for example) for the UK to France driving license exchange, for opening Assurance Vie accounts, and (had I proceeded with it) an application to CPAM to join Assurance Maladie.
In an ideal world, I’d agree. But there are presumably a variety of reasons that people apply for citizenship of another country? For some it will be for genuine convenience, for others as an insurance policy to escape a hostile regime, eg the many Hong Kong inhabitants who acquired forms of UK passports in the run up to, and post 1997.
I understand there are some 5.5 million UK passport holders who live outside the UK (per the BBC and IPPR, a think tank). I doubt that all of them have an emotional attachment to the ethos of UK citizenship, and strongly suspect that for some it will be an open sesame to safety and security.
Whilst non EU people from the UK wanting to settle in the EU are not in the same category, I see absolutely nothing wrong in people availing themselves of the legal opportunity to acquire a passport for huge convenience, and wouldn’t presume to judge their motives. I would absolutely do the same in their shoes. Indeed I explored the Irish citizenship option, having numerous Irish great grandparents but I am 1 generation too distant. I am lucky (for many reasons!) to be married to an EU citizen, so can live here in France relatively easily.
