British protected person in the context of "British protectorate"

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⭐ Core Definition: British protected person

A British protected person (BPP) is a member of a class of British nationality associated with former protectorates, protected states, and territorial mandates and trusts under British control. Individuals with this nationality are British nationals, but are neither British nor Commonwealth citizens. Nationals of this class are subject to immigration controls when entering the United Kingdom and do not have the automatic right of abode there or any other country.

This nationality was created to accommodate residents of areas that were under British protection or administration but were not British possessions (as colonies were) or Dominions of the Crown. As of 2025, about 1,100 British protected persons hold valid British passports with this status and enjoy consular protection when travelling abroad. However, individuals who only hold BPP nationality are effectively stateless as they are not guaranteed the right to enter the country by which they are protected.

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👉 British protected person in the context of British protectorate

British protectorates were protectorates under the jurisdiction of the British government. Many territories which became British protectorates already had local rulers with whom the Crown negotiated through treaty, acknowledging their status whilst simultaneously offering protection. British protectorates were therefore governed by indirect rule. In most cases, the local ruler, as well as the subjects of the ruler, were not British subjects, but rather British protected persons. British protected states represented a more loose form of British suzerainty, where the local rulers retained absolute control over the states' internal affairs and the British exercised control over defence and foreign affairs.

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British protected person in the context of British nationality law

The primary legislation governing nationality in the United Kingdom is the British Nationality Act 1981, which came into force on 1 January 1983. Its provisions apply to the British Islands (comprising the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), and the Crown dependencies, of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man) and the 14 British Overseas Territories.

The six classes of British nationality provide differing levels of civil and political rights, reflecting the United Kingdom's historical legacy as a colonial power. The primary form is British citizenship, which is linked to the British Islands and confers full rights. Those connected with a current overseas territory are classified as British Overseas Territories citizens (BOTCs), and since 2002, nearly all BOTCs, except those associated solely with Akrotiri and Dhekelia, have also held British citizenship. Other residual forms of British nationality generally linked to former colonies and now largely closed to new acquisition include the statuses of British Overseas citizen, British subject, British National (Overseas) and British protected person. These categories do not confer automatic right of abode in the United Kingdom and offer limited entitlements.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← British protectorate ← British nationality law ← British protectorates ← British citizenship ← British national
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
British nationality law → Protectorate → League of Nations mandate → United Nations trust territories → British national → Commonwealth citizen → United Kingdom → Right of abode → Dominion → The Crown → British passport → Statelessness →