Married Women's Nationality
The question of the nationality of British women who marry aliens is at present being pressed on the attention of Parliament. The whole question is of comparatively recent date. Before 1870 a British woman retained her nationality when she married an alien, though twenty-six years previously, in 1844, alien women marrying British subjects had been granted British nationality. The 187o Naturalisa- tion Act, to regularise the position, took away British nationality from women marrying foreigners, but various modifications since then indicate that the position is not satisfactory. A woman may now resume British nationality if her husband dies, if there is a divorce, or if he takes another nationality after marriage. If during war her husband is classed as an " enemy alien," she may apply for a resumption of British nationality. If the law of her husband's country, for example the United States, does not grant her nev, nationality on marriage, she may retain her own. Those who sup- port the general retention of their own nationality by women marry- ing aliens point out that this is the rule in three great countries— the U.S.A., Russia and China. The British Government has twice— at the Hague Conference in 1930 and at Geneva in 1931—made state- ments favouring the independent nationality rights of women, but the granting of this by Britain has been bound up with procedure in the Dominions. Australia and New Zealand are sympathetic; they have already allowed women subjects marrying aliens to retain citizen rights. South Africa was said to be unfavourable, but General Smuts has recently expressed willingness to discuss a change in the law. It was hoped that the nationality question might come up at the.. Conference of Dominion Premiers.; it did not, but it cannot much longer be evaded.
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