British Protected Person - British Nationality and Protectorates

British Nationality and Protectorates

Although most people connected with protectorates and protected states did not acquire British subject status there were some exceptions:

• Persons born in a protectorate and some protected states with a British subject father were British subjects by birth (even if the father was a British subject by descent). This exception to normal rules on transmission of British subject status was put on a statutory basis by section 2(1) of the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act 1943.
• On 1 January 1949 any British subject born in a protectorate or a protected state automatically became a Citizen of the UK and Colonies (CUKC) under section 12(3) of the British Nationality Act 1948.
• Governors of protectorates and some protected states had the right under sections 8 and 10 of the British Nationality Act 1948 to register or naturalise persons as Citizens of the UK and Colonies by virtue of a connection to that protectorate or protected state.

Some of these persons may have lost CUKC at independence of the protectorate or protected state concerned. If they retained CUKC they would generally be British citizens or British Overseas citizens.