Give non-British citizens who are NHS workers automatic citizenship
The Parliament petitions site records 72,626 signatures for this petition, which closed on 7 October 2020. The Government responded on 6 May 2020. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 25 June 2020.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Give non-British citizens who are NHS workers automatic citizenship
Give NHS workers who are EU and other Nationals automatic UK citizenship if they stay and risk their own lives looking after the British people during the COVID crisis.
The NHS is a great institution, but one that has been under great pressure for years. It could not function without staff who come from many different countries. Brexit has already affected morale for many. Due to the COVID pandemic, we are asking these NHS workers to risk their lives to look after the British people while their own families are far away. This is a chance for the British Government and Public to show them how much we appreciate their invaluable contribution to our society.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 6 May 2020; the petitions site lists the Home Office as responsible. Its summary:
Migrant workers in the NHS are doing an amazing job and we are offering them free visa extensions. But to be fair to all migrants we think the requirements for citizenship should be the same for all.
The opening 380 words of the 423-word response:
We are grateful for the amazing contribution that migrant workers within the NHS are playing at the current time, and recognise their commitment and dedication to keep vital services running and save lives.
We have made provision for doctors, nurses and paramedics working for the NHS to automatically have their visas extended by one year if it is due to expire before 1 October 2020. The extension is free and they do not have to pay the normal immigration health surcharge. Family members will also have their visa extended. We are contacting NHS employers to identify staff eligible for this extension: the staff do not need to apply. We keep all of our policies under review and are continuing to consider how we can best support the NHS and its staff.
Any migrant working in the NHS on a route which leads to settlement can apply to become a permanent resident in the UK after 5 years. Doctors and nurses, and those in other allied health professions which are on the UK Shortage Occupation List, are also exempt from having to meet the normal earnings thresholds for becoming a permanent resident in this way.
To become a British citizen you must meet a number of statutory criteria. These are set out in the British Nationality Act (1981). You must have lived here for a minimum number of years and become a permanent resident. These criteria are designed to ensure an applicant for citizenship has a strong connection to the UK and intends to remain here. Applicants must also satisfy a good character requirement and show they have sufficient knowledge of English language and of life in the UK. Citizenship cannot be granted on a discretionary basis.
We believe it is fair that all those who want to become British citizens should meet the same core requirements, and for citizenship to be awarded on a consistent basis. It is also an approach which recognises the valuable contributions all migrants make to the UK, not only those working within the NHS.
A number of countries do not allow their citizens to hold dual nationality, and can penalise people for doing so, hence granting British citizenship automatically could cause unintended issues for them. This underlines the benefit of an applicant-led approach to citizenship.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 446, came from Oxford East.
71,659 of the signatures were from the UK and 967 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Oxford East | 446 |
| Bristol West | 412 |
| Manchester Central | 409 |
| Leicester South | 391 |
| Holborn and St Pancras | 378 |
| Cambridge | 365 |
| Lewisham, Deptford | 362 |
| Brighton, Pavilion | 361 |
| Hackney North and Stoke Newington | 354 |
| Dulwich and West Norwood | 344 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| London | 14,802 |
| South East | 10,888 |
| East of England | 7,436 |
| North West | 7,223 |
| South West | 5,931 |
| East Midlands | 5,107 |
| West Midlands | 5,031 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 4,251 |
| Scotland | 3,244 |
| Wales | 2,704 |
| North East | 2,169 |
| Northern Ireland | 785 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 25 June 2020. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/305129.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
4ffccb8e647419ee… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.