Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is committed to the right to nationality, declaring that:
- Everyone has the right to a nationality.
- All have the right to a nationality. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
Thus, nationality becomes an essential human right by which every person is able to belong to a nation or a state. Nationality commonly opens access to rights and privileges such as legal protection, the right to vote, the right to work, and rights to public service.
The right to protection against arbitrary deprivation of nationality is the second aspect of Article 15, which may make one stateless. Stateless persons suffer much, including non-access to healthcare and education, employment, traveling, and obtaining legal documents, among others. Besides, the right to change one’s nationality also gives freedom to people to identify themselves and affiliate themselves with a nation in which there are values and circumstances in common.
Article 15, therefore, assumes significant importance within this framework in the context of the illumination it gives regarding the role that nationality plays towards ensuring rights and dignity for persons within the human rights framework.
Written by: Nabeela Mohiud-din