British protected person

A British Protected Person (BPP) is a member of class of certain persons under the British Nationality Act 1981 associated with former protected states, protectorates, mandated and trust territories whose external affairs and defence were under British control. The inhabitants of these former states or territories were never automatically entitled because of their birthplace to become British subjects or citizens, but were given the status of British Protected Person instead. (A few of those born in such areas might have other claims to British nationality, for instance, based on the status of their parents.)

BPP status is a form of nationality under public international law, but is no longer associated with the right to live anywhere or to enjoy citizenship of the European Union.

British Protected Persons are not Commonwealth citizens in British nationality law; they do not have full civil rights in the United Kingdom. However, BPPs, like Commonwealth citizens and Irish citizens, are not considered aliens in the United Kingdom.

Certain parts of the British Empire were under British suzerainty or effective control but did not become part of the Crown's dominions. These included protected states, protectorates, mandated and trust territories. As these states were considered to be 'foreign' soil, birth in such a place could not, in general, confer British nationality. Instead, the denizens of these states were conferred with the status of British Protected Person.

Originally BPP status was conferred on the subjects of the rulers of the protected states, with those rulers determining who were their subjects. Subsequently, a more sophisticated test of 'belonging' was established by Royal Prerogative under the British Protected Persons Order 1934. BPP status was defined in statute law for the first time by the British Nationality Act 1948.

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