A recent panel discussion by the Center for Immigration Studies compared the US birthright citizenship to other countries. The US has one of the broadest definitions of birthright citizenship in the world, granting citizenship to nearly any child born on its soil.

Birthright Citizenship Around the World

The concept of birthright citizenship, also known as jus soli, or “right of the soil,” is not unique to the US. Many countries in the Western Hemisphere, including Canada and Mexico, also grant birthright citizenship to children born within their borders, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.

However, other countries have more restrictive policies. For example, France has a conditional birthright citizenship, where children born to non-French parents must affirmatively request citizenship rather than receive it automatically. Israel and Hungary primarily follow the principle of jus sanguinis, or “right by blood,” where children born to at least one citizen parent automatically acquire citizenship at birth.

The US has three narrow exceptions to its near-unconditional birthright citizenship: children born to accredited foreign diplomats, children born to hostile enemy forces during a foreign occupation, and individuals born in American Samoa, who are US nationals but not citizens.

Implications of Birthright Citizenship

The panel discussion highlighted the implications of birthright citizenship, including the potential for abuse by illegal immigrants. Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, described American birthright citizenship as “one of the most extreme versions of birthright citizenship” in the world.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.