What is the position of UK-born children who are not British citizens ?
If the child is born in the UK but is not British because he was born ‘illegitimate’, being born before 1 July 2006 to his settled or British citizen father and non-settled and non-British citizen mother, and his parents subsequently marry, the child will become a British citizen by the parents’ marriage provided the father is ‘domiciled’ in the UK. For those children born on or after 1 July 2006 and who are born ‘illegitimate’, in the UK where the father is a British citizen or settled in the UK, will themselves obtain British citizenship on proof of paternity (see above). For those children born before 1 July 2006, where a child relies on a father who is not married to the child’s mother, and the father is settled or a British citizen, the child may still apply to register as a British citizen under section 3(1) BNA 1981. The grant of such application is at the discretion of the Secretary of State. For the position for a child born on or after 1 July 2006, see the above amendments to
