Shamima Begum: Runaway IS bride to find out if she can return to UK

So nobody born to foreign parents can be British? Does that apply if the parents are white Europeans, too?

If your parents are Polish but you were born, raised and live in Britain, you are Polish? Even if you speak not a word of Polish?

It's interesting to see where people's thinking is at.
Can someone that is ethnically Scottish become Japanese?
 
I think if we allowed people in the past like Lord Haw Haw to return to the UK then she should be allowed back.

What do you mean allowed to return.

Joyce was born in the USA, grew up in Ireland, lived in England, ran away to Germany and broadcast propaganda from there until being captured at the end and being subject to victors justice.

We argued that he was ours so we could hang him (which we did). He didn't WANT to come back and by any usual standards he was never a British citizen. He had a falsely acquired British passport and the lawyers earned their pay arguing that it was close enough.
 
Can someone that is ethnically Scottish become Japanese?
You mean if they were born in Japan to Scottish parents? If they spoke Japanese as their first language, held a Japanese passport, were able to enlist in the Japanese army, run for election as a Japanese official, etc? Had never been to Scotland, not even once?

You're saying they'd in fact by Scottish and nothing else?
 
You mean if they were born in Japan to Scottish parents? If they spoke Japanese as their first language, held a Japanese passport, were able to enlist in the Japanese army, run for election as a Japanese official, etc? Had never been to Scotland, not even once?

You're saying they'd in fact by Scottish and nothing else?
They would be ethnically Scottish with Japanese citizenship.
 
Can someone that is ethnically Scottish become Japanese?

It’s weird that so many people say “I’m just as British as you” whilst being a different ethnicity, worshipping a minority religion and not following any British cultures/traditions.

To expand your point If I went to Japan as a white Christian, didn’t learn their language, follow their traditions and only ate fish/chips then said “I’m just as Japanese as the local indigenous population” they’d look at me like I was an idiot! And they’d be right!

At which point I’d call them racist for pointing out the obvious …… :D
 
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It’s weird that so many people say “I’m just as British as you” whilst being a different ethnicity, worshipping a minority religion and not following any British cultures/traditions.

To expand your point If I went to Japan as a white Christian, didn’t learn their language, follow their traditions and only ate fish/chips then said “I’m just as Japanese as the local indigenous population” they’d look at me like I was an idiot! And they’d be right!

At which point I’d call them racist for pointing out the obvious …… :D
But we don't want to end up in a place where you aren't anything.

If you aren't British because your parents were maybe a bit foreign, and you aren't from anywhere else, then what are you? A great bit nothing burger?

Down here many people say I'm not Cornish. My parents weren't Cornish, they were from up country. So a lot of people say, "You aren't Cornish, you're English!"

I've lived in Cornwall and Wales, but never England.

Some people down here say you can't be Cornish unless you've had 7 generations of Cornish ancestors. Putting aside the lack of genetic diversity for one second ( :p ) that does mean that many, many people who lived their entire lives in Cornwall weren't Cornish, by that definition.

People want their nationality to be exclusive to people just like them. But in so doing, they render so many people effectively with no identity, or a forced identity of a place they have no knowledge of.

Is that what we want?
 
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People want their nationality to be exclusive to people just like them. But in so doing, they render so many people effectively with no identity, or a forced identity of a place they have no knowledge of.

I suppose you could argue that an individual’s ethnicity, nationality and ‘culture’ are effectively all different aspects that make up a person’s identity.
 
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Can someone that is ethnically Scottish become Japanese?
I would say yes... full disclosure. I was born in Taiwan and I've been in England since I was 8. I became British around 19 (don't exactly remember), and I'm now 37.

I would say I was as British as anybody else. I have certainly have expended more effort to become British than most of the country, and if in the future, the British people don't feel I should be here, then I want a lot of taxes refunded.
 
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I've lived in Cornwall and Wales, but never England.
Err... Cornwall isnt a country.

A friend of mine moved from the Midlands to Cornwall and he's very much considered an outsider by the locals. It's obvious that he is and he's okay with it. It's not a bad thing, but culturally he clearly isn't Cornish. His local knowledge, his accent, his family history etc. But yes he is a resident there. And that's okay.
 
I suppose you could argue that an individual’s ethnicity, nationality and ‘culture’ are effectively all different aspects that make up a person’s identity.
So what was Shamima's nationality? People have claimed she wasn't British. And people have agreed with that.

Was she ever a Bangladeshi national - a place she'd never been to? A place she'd never had citizenship from?

If she wasn't Bangladeshi and she wasn't British, what was she?
 
I would say yes... full disclosure. I was born in Taiwan and I've been in England since I was 8. I became British around 19 (don't exactly remember), and I'm now 37.

I would say I was as British as anybody else. I have certainly have expended more effort to become British than most of the country, and if in the future, the British people don't feel I should be here, then I want a lot of taxes refunded.
It sounds like you are culturally British and that's great. I'm all for that.

We have:
Ethnicity
Culture
Citizenship/Nationality

Ethnicity is immutable. Culture is adopted and citizenship can be altered by paperwork.
 
It sounds like you are culturally British and that's great. I'm all for that.

We have:
Ethnicity
Culture
Citizenship/Nationality

Ethnicity is immutable. Culture is adopted and citizenship can be altered by paperwork.
So if someone is to "be British", which of those needs to considered?
If someone is to be a "British national", which then?
If someone is a British national, can I/can I not say "they are British"?
 
So what was Shamima's nationality? People have claimed she wasn't British. And people have agreed with that.

Was she ever a Bangladeshi national - a place she'd never been to? A place she'd never had citizenship from?

If she wasn't Bangladeshi and she wasn't British, what was she?
Up **** creek. Shame eh.
 
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