Swedish Priest Stripped of Citizenship After Unawareness of Dual Citizenship Law

Hans Ucko, an 80-year-old Swedish priest born in Lund to Jewish parents who fled Nazi Germany, recently discovered he lost his Swedish citizenship decades ago after accepting German citizenship in 1994. This occurred under the pre-2001 Swedish law which did not allow dual citizenship. Ucko accepted German citizenship as part of a reparative measure for Nazi persecution victims, unaware this automatically revoked his Swedish citizenship.

Despite living in Sweden all his life, voting, and regularly renewing his Swedish passport until recently, the Swedish Migration Agency told Ucko that by acquiring German citizenship he voluntarily relinquished Swedish nationality. Migration Court upheld this interpretation, stating official documents previously affirming his Swedish citizenship did not constitute valid status.

Ucko’s personal history adds a poignant dimension; his father lost German citizenship under Nazi racial laws before fleeing to Sweden, only for Ucko to face a similar loss. His lawyer has appealed, arguing the state’s position contradicts legal principles and that Ucko relied on prior official recognition of his citizenship.

Commenting on the case, Swedish journalist Helle Klein criticized the authorities’ handling as emblematic of a repressive climate that dehumanizes individuals by stripping rights without adequate notification or justification. She warns such actions undermine the trust and dignity that democratic governance must uphold.

Ucko remains eligible to reapply for Swedish citizenship but describes the ordeal as deeply distressing, highlighting the irony of Sweden treating him similarly to Nazi Germany’s treatment of his father. This case has sparked debate about past dual citizenship laws and their lasting consequences on people’s identities and legal status in Sweden.