Nation, Nationality, and Citizenship
They share the same rights and are
The line of distinction between the terms
"nation" and "nationality" is quite thin.
Most of the time, "nationality" and "citizenship"
are used interchangeably.
These words do not mean the same thing and
actually pertain to different concepts.
NATION
A NATION is a large aggregate of people united
by common descent, history, culture, language,
and economic life through inhabiting a
particular country or territory.
• A NATION emphasizes a particular
group of people
• A COUNTRY emphasizes the physical
dimensions and boundaries of a
geographical area.
• A STATE is a self-governing legal and
political entity.
NATIONALITY
• It is a person’s instinctive membership
to a specific nation or country.
• It can be acquired by an individual from
the country where he or she was born
(jus soli).
• It can be acquired by an individual
through his or her parents (jus
sanguinis)
• An individual is a national of a particular
country by birth.
• Nationality is acquired through
inheritance from his or her parents.
• People with the same nationality often
share the same language, culture,
territory, and in some cases, ancestry.
protected by the same laws.
CITIZENSHIP
• It is a person’s legal and political status
in a city or state, which means that an
individual has been registered with the
government in some country.
• An individual becomes a citizen of a
country only when he or she is accepted
into that country’s political framework
through legal terms.
Filipino Nationality
• The Philippine Nationality Law is based
on the principles of jus sanguinis or
"right of blood." Therefore, anyone with
a parent who is a citizen or national of
the Republic of the Philippines can
acquire Philippine citizenship. This is the
primary method of acquiring
citizenship.
• For people born in the Philippines to
non-Filipino parents,
the Administrative Naturalization Law
of 2000 (R.A. 9139) provides an avenue
for administrative naturalization.
Issues Regarding Nationality and Statelessness
Right to a Nationality
• Every person has a right to a
nationality.
• The right to a nationality is
a fundamental human right.
• It is an individual’s right to acquire,
change, or retain his or her nationality.
Thus, a country’s law cannot deprive a
 person the right to gain a nationality, in
case he or she loses it.

Statelessness

• People who do not have a nationality

are considered as stateless people.

• According to Article 1 of the 1954

Convention relating to the Status of
Stateless Persons of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR), "a stateless person is
someone who is not considered as a
national by any State under the
operation of its law."

• Most stateless people are considered

"refugees," while others lose their
nationalities due to war or conflict, or if
their country is annexed by another
country and loses its sovereignty.

The UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER

FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR) handles all issues
regarding refugees and stateless people.

The role of UNHCR is to identify stateless

people and protect their rights, as well as
prevent statelessness from happening all over
the world. They also aid stateless people in
acquiring new citizenship in other countries.