Thousands of people in Slough have signed a petition which attempted to stop the government’s ability to strip someone of their citizenship without notice.

The government was seeking the power to strip people of their citizenship more easily as part of the Nationality and Borders Bill.

The petition called for clause 9 of the bill, which could allow the government to strip someone of their citizenship without notice, to be removed.

Specifically, clause 9 exempts the government from having to give notice of a decision to strip someone of there citizenship if it is not “reasonably practicable.”

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These circumstances include if there is a risk to national security, or in the interests of the public and diplomatic relations.

The petition created by Thomas Charles states: “Under provisions in Clause 9 of this Bill, individuals could be stripped of their British citizenship without warning.

“We believe this is unacceptable, and inconsistent with international human rights obligations.”

As many as 2,144 people signed the petition in Slough.

That is the second highest number of signatories in the country outside London, with 2,159 people signing the petition in the Bristol West constituency.

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A total of 326,996 people signed the petition across the UK, which is well above the threshold for the subject to be discussed in Parliament.

However, the attempt to remove clause 9 failed and the bill became law on Thursday, April 28.

The government response to the petition states: “The Government will not remove Clause 9.

“It is necessary to ensure deprivation powers can be used effectively and will only apply in very limited circumstances.

“It does not affect the right to appeal.

“The Government recognises that to deprive someone of British citizenship is a very serious matter and it is a power reserved for those whose conduct poses a threat to the UK, involves very high harm, or where citizenship has been obtained by fraudulent means and so the person was never entitled to it in the first place.

“Deprivation on ‘conducive to the public good’ grounds is rare, has been possible for over a century, comes with a right of appeal and is used against people like terrorists to keep the public safe.

“Such decisions are therefore made following careful consideration of advice from officials and lawyers and in accordance with domestic and international law as well as the UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.”

Hundreds of people signed the petition elsewhere in Berkshire.

A total of 860 people signed it in the Reading East constituency, 658 people signed it in Reading West, 596 signed it in Windsor and 580 did in Maidenhead.

Last ditch efforts to soften the Act from the House of Lords failed in a series of votes in the House of Commons.