Asecond-class citizen is a person who is systematically and activelydiscriminated against within astate or otherpolitical jurisdiction, despite their nominal status as acitizen or a legal resident there. While not necessarilyslaves,outlaws,illegal immigrants, orcriminals, second-class citizens have significantly limited legal rights, civil rights and socioeconomic opportunities, and are often subject to mistreatment and exploitation at the hands of their putative superiors. Systems withde facto second-class citizenry are widely regarded as violatinghuman rights.[1][2]
Typical conditions facing second-class citizens include but are not limited to:
Citizenship and nationality have essential imbued rights that define them, and some commentators argue that having second-class citizenship may amount to statelessness.[3] As an example,Nazi Germany'sReich Citizenship Law of 1935 created a second-class citizenship status, which was used for anyone excluded from the "Reich Citizenship."On paper, the holders of the second-class citizenship "enjoyed the protection of the state and were bound to fulfill all the duties of citizenship," butin practice the status was worse than that for aliens, allowing any form of discrimination and other maltreatment against the holders, effectively nullifying the defining function of citizenship.[4] There is much debate as to where to draw the line on defining second-class citizenship and whether it amounts to statelessness. The category remains unofficial and mostly academic, and is generally used as apejorative by commentators.
Historically, before the mid-20th century, this policy was applied by several Europeancolonial empires on colonialresidents of overseas possessions.
Aresident alien orforeign national, andchildren in general, fit most definitions of a second-class citizen. This does not mean that they do not have any legal protections, nor do they lack acceptance by the local population, but they lack many of the civil rights commonly given to the dominant social group.[1] Anaturalized citizen, on the other hand, essentially carries the same rights and responsibilities as any other citizen, except for possible exclusion from certain public offices, and is also legally protected.
Rights are neither given nor withdrawn from the individual.
Non-Assessable
Internationally recognized
Outlaws, criminals
No rights to outlaws, or criminals in normal citizenry classes, however, certain countries have constitutional sets and legal standards for criminals and outlaws
Latvian non-citizens constitute a group similar to second-class citizens.[5] Although they are not considered foreigners (they hold no other citizenship, have Latvian IDs), they have reduced rights compared to full citizens. For example, non-citizens are not eligible to vote or hold public office. TheEuropean Commission against Racism and Intolerance has described their status as making "people concerned feel like "second-class citizens".[6]Estonian non-citizens are in a similar position.
In Hong Kong, Sindhis make up 0,1% of the population and most hold British citizenship. They are stopped by police frequently and assumed to be criminals, fail to integrate intoHong Kong Chinese society, and struggle to get even minimum wage employment.[citation needed]
Mainland Chinese citizens who are settling in Hong Kong or Macau by means of aone-way permit do not have citizenship rights (such as obtaining apassport) in both the mainland or theSAR after settling but before obtaining the permanent resident status, effectively rendering them second-class citizens.
Theburakumin (部落民, 'hamlet/village people') are a social grouping ofJapanese people descended from members of the feudal class associated withkegare (穢れ, 'impurity'), mainly those with occupations related to death such asexecutioners,gravediggers,slaughterhouse workers,butchers, andtanners. Burakumin are physically indistinguishable from other Japanese but have historically been regarded as a socially distinct group. When identified, they are often subject to discrimination and prejudice.[8] They are often calledeta (穢多, "great filth") orhinin (非人, "non-persons"). Although liberated legally during 1871 with the abolition of the feudalcaste system, this did not end socialdiscrimination against burakumin nor improve their living standards. Outside of the Kansai region, people in general are often not aware of the issues experienced by those of buraku ancestry. Prejudice against buraku most often manifests itself in the form of marriage discrimination and sometimes inemployment.[9]
Apartheid in South Africa between 1948 and 1991 was a nationwide institutionalracially segregated multi-level system in whichEuropean residents of the nation had more rights and privileges thanIndians, who in turn had more rights thanthose of mixed descent, who had more rights than the majority of the population, namelyBlack Africans. This segregation included having separate events for those of different races, separate walkways and modes of transportation, separate hospitals, Black Africans being banned from voting, and compelling those of separate races to live in separate townships. The international condemnation of apartheid that led to its end largely began in the aftermath of theSharpeville massacre, in which 69 protesters were killed and more than 175 were injured when police opened fire on a crowd of thousands on March 21, 1960.
Heribert Adam andKogila Moodley wrote in 2006 thatIsraeli Palestinians are "restricted to second-class citizen status when another ethnic group monopolizes state power" because of legal prohibitions on access to land, as well as the unequal allocation of civil service positions and per capita expenditure on educations between "dominant and minority citizens".[15]
^Library of Congress. (2018).Citizenship through international adoption: A comparative overview of nationality laws in select countries (Report No. 2019670401). Retrieved from https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/llglrd/2019670401/2019670401.pdf
^Adam, Heribert; Moodley, Kogila (2005).Seeking Mandela: Peacemaking Between Israelis and Palestinians. Psychology Press. p. 20f.ISBN978-1-84472-130-6.:Second-class citizenship: "Above all, both Israeli Palestinians and Coloured and Indian South Africans are restricted to second-class citizen status when another ethnic group monopolizes state power, treats the minorities as intrinsically suspect, and legally prohibits their access to land or allocates civil service positions or per capita expenditure on education differently between dominant and minority citizens."
