Subjective Experiences of Citizenship Revocation: A Legal and Emotional Inquiry

Abstract

This study aims to explore the subjective legal and emotional experiences of individuals affected by citizenship revocation in Tehran, with a focus on the multidimensional impacts of this form of legal exclusion. A qualitative research design was employed using semi-structured interviews with 30 participants who had experienced citizenship revocation or its direct consequences. Participants were selected through purposive sampling in Tehran. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using NVivo software, following thematic coding procedures including open, axial, and selective coding to identify core themes. Three major themes emerged from the data: (1) legal disempowerment and administrative injustice, highlighting arbitrary decisions, lack of legal representation, and procedural opacity; (2) emotional and psychological consequences, including identity disruption, chronic fear, stigma, and emotional numbness; and (3) social marginalization and exclusion, characterized by breakdown of social networks, denial of basic services, structural discrimination, and barriers to employment and education. Participants described citizenship as a precarious and revocable status, experienced profound distrust of institutions, and faced systemic ethnic discrimination. These findings reveal the extensive legal, social, and psychological harms caused by citizenship revocation. Citizenship revocation functions as both a legal and emotional mechanism of exclusion that significantly disrupts affected individuals’ lives. The study underscores the urgent need for transparent legal processes, safeguards against statelessness, and social interventions to mitigate the harms of denationalization. Reframing citizenship as an inalienable right is essential to uphold human dignity and social inclusion.