Privación: fraude/falsa representación/error (registrado y naturalizado)

The Government may deprive a citizen by registration/naturalisation if the registration/certificate was obtained by fraud, false representation or concealment of a material fact, or was effected by mistake. Procedure: Art 133 notice + committee of inquiry.

Evidence-pinned eligibility & rules:

• A woman who is a citizen by registration under Article 123(2) (spousal route) may be deprived of her citizenship if the Government is satisfied that the marriage by virtue of which she was registered has been dissolved, otherwise than by death, within the period of 2 years beginning with the date of the marriage. [Art 129(6)]
• A woman who is a citizen of Singapore by registration under Article 123(2) may be deprived of citizenship if the Government is satisfied that she has acquired the citizenship of a country outside Singapore by virtue of her marriage to a person who is not a citizen of Singapore. [Art 134(1)(b)]
• A citizen by registration or by naturalisation may be deprived of citizenship by order of the Government if the Government is satisfied that the registration or certificate of naturalisation was obtained by means of fraud, false representation or the concealment of any material fact, or was effected or granted by mistake. [Art 129(1)-(2); MHA press release (Mick Davies / Lan Shili deprivation, 5 Mar 2018)]
• The Government may deprive a citizen by naturalisation of citizenship if satisfied he has shown himself by act or speech to be disloyal or disaffected towards Singapore, or has during any war traded or communicated with an enemy. [Art 129(3)(a)]
• The Government may deprive a citizen by registration or by naturalisation of citizenship if satisfied that, within 5 years after registration or naturalisation, he has been sentenced in any country to imprisonment for a term of not less than one year or to a fine of not less than $5,000 (or the foreign-currency equivalent) and has not received a free pardon; or that at any time after registration or naturalisation he has engaged in activities prejudicial to the security of Singapore, public order, essential services, or in criminal activities prejudicial to public safety, peace or good order. [Art 129(3)(b); MHA press release (match-fixing syndicate deprivation, Art 133(1))]
• The Government may deprive a citizen by naturalisation of citizenship if satisfied that, without the Government's approval, he has accepted, served in or performed the duties of any office, post or employment under a foreign government (or agency/subdivision) where an oath, affirmation or declaration of allegiance is required — subject to a proviso that no deprivation lies for anything done before the commencement of the Constitution. [Art 129(4)]
• The Government may deprive a citizen by naturalisation of citizenship if satisfied that he has been ordinarily resident in foreign countries for a continuous period of 5 years and during that period has neither been in the service of Singapore or of an international organisation of which the Government was a member, nor registered annually at a Singapore consulate his intention to retain his citizenship. (This 5-year residence-abroad ground applies to naturalised citizens under Art 129(5); the distinct 10-year residence-abroad ground under Art 135(1)(c) applies more broadly.) [Art 129(5)]
• No person shall be deprived of citizenship under Article 129 (or Article 130) unless the Government is satisfied it is not conducive to the public good that he continue to be a citizen; and statelessness is a bar for most deprivation grounds — no deprivation under Arts 129(2)(b), 129(3)(a) or (b)(i), 129(4), 129(5) or Article 130 may render the person stateless. (Fraud-based deprivation under Art 129(2)(a) is the notable exception not protected against statelessness.) [Art 129(7); MHA press release (deprivation rendering subject stateless)]

Procedure (Constitution Art 133 + Singapore Citizenship Rules r.10-15): before a deprivation order the Government gives written notice of the ground and of the right to a committee of inquiry (Art 133; r.10); the committee (chaired by a person qualified as a Supreme Court Judge) inquires and reports to the Minister (r.11-13); on deprivation the citizenship certificate is cancelled and the name struck off (r.14-15). A decision under Part 10 is not subject to appeal or review in any court (Third Schedule para 2).

Operative authority: Constitution Art 129(1)-(2) (Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, Part 10, 2020 Revised Edition). Statute pins: SG-SRC-CONST: Art 129(2), SG-SRC-CONST: Art 133 (procedure). KCQs: Q7.1, Q7.3.