patrial
/ˈpeɪtrɪəl
/noun British
A person with the right to live in the UK through the British birth of a parent or grandparent: the 1971 Act classified people as patrials and non-patrials...
- Under the Act those qualifying for right of abode under the 1968 and 1971 Immigration Acts - so-called patrials - became British Citizens.
- Under section 1 of the Immigration Act 1971 he became a patrial with a right of abode in the U.K. and his wife, who lived with his four children in India, automatically became entitled to the same right.
- The 1971 Immigration Act allowed free entry to ‘patrials’, that is, persons who had at least one British grandparent, or who had been naturalized, or who had lived in Britain for five years.
Derivatives
patriality
- However, in order to gain entry into the U.K. the wife had to have a certificate of patriality which was granted only once she was able to satisfy the authorities that she was indeed the wife of a patrial.
- The Immigration Act 1971 introduced the two concepts of the right of abode and patriality.
- Moreover, children born in the UK to non-British citizens do not acquire British citizenship unless they can satisfy the requirements of patriality.
Origin
Early 17th century: from French, or from medieval Latin patrialis, from Latin patria 'fatherland', from pater 'father'.