Argentina: Information on whether a person born in Argentina would lose his or her Argentine citizenship upon acquisition of Swiss citizenship in the late 1970s or early 1980s, if the person would be able to reacquire his or her Argentine citizenship and on the procedures involved
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 June 1997 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ARG26421.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Argentina: Information on whether a person born in Argentina would lose his or her Argentine citizenship upon acquisition of Swiss citizenship in the late 1970s or early 1980s, if the person would be able to reacquire his or her Argentine citizenship and on the procedures involved, 1 June 1997, ARG26421.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abf630.html [accessed 18 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was provided in telephone interviews the Embassy of the Argentine Republic and the Consulate of the Argentine Republic (30 May 1997; 2 June 1997).
A person born in Argentina to Argentinian citizens [mother or father] possesses Argentine nationality by birth, which cannot be lost. A person with Argentine nationality has the right to work, the right to abode and the right to enter, leave and move freely within the national borders of Argentina. Argentina recognizes that an individual may have a claim to more than one nationality.
However, citizenship is distinguished from nationality. Argentinian citizenship is suspended while the person holds status, or is living, in another country, meaning that the individual cannot exercise the civil and political rights that he or she would have in Argentina, among which are the right to vote and the right to hold public office (civil or military). All Argentinians living abroad must register with the closest Argentine consular authorities. The consulate forwards the person's name to the appropriate authorities to in order remove the individual's name from the voters' lists. Similarly, a person who has given up or renounced their Argentinian citizenship will have had his or her civil and political rights suspended.
Under most circumstances, a person with Argentine nationality who has had his or her citizenship suspended is able to regain citizenship by making a petition before a federal judge. This procedure must be done in the city nearest to the individual's last residence in Argentina.
For additional information on Argentinian citizenship and nationality please consult the English translation of the 1978 Nationality and Citizenship Act which is attached to Response to Information Request ARG23005.F of 13 February 1996.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Embassy of the Argentine Republic, Ottawa. 30 May 1997. Telephone interview with representative.
Consulate of the Argentine Republic, Montréal. 2 June 1997. Telephone interview with representative.
