Second-class citizen

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Second-class citizen is an informal term used to describe a person, being a member of a discriminated group, who is systematically discriminated against within a state or other political jurisdiction. The discrimination exists due to membership within the group despite the person being a citizen of that state. While not necessarily slaves, outlaws or criminals, second-class citizens have limited legal rights, civil rights and economic opportunities, and are often subject to mistreatment or neglect at the hands of their putative superiors.

Second-class citizenry is generally regarded as a violation of human rights. Typical impediments facing second-class citizens include disenfranchisement (a lack or loss of voting rights), limitations on civil or military service (not including conscription in every case), as well as restrictions on language, religion, caste, education, and freedom of movement and association. Housing opportunities and legal rights such as the right to a fair trial (as opposed to being tried in a kangaroo court) are often severely limited or nonexistent. The discrimination can occur on a de jure or de facto basis. Second-class citizenship can also occur in the case of persons involuntarily rendered stateless, within the jurisdiction where said persons reside if no reasonable opportunity exists for obtaining citizenship, resulting in discrimination.

The term is generally used as a pejorative or in the context of civil society activism and governments will typically deny the existence of a second class within the polity. Since there is no objective test of second-class citizenship, examples throughout history can be alleged; however, no firm conclusion would ever be possible as to the validity of any individual claim.

By contrast, a resident alien or foreign national may have limited rights within a jurisdiction (such as not being able to vote, and having to register with the government), but is also given the law's protection, and is usually accepted by the local population. Such people are not second-class citizens, in that they are citizens of a foreign state. A naturalized citizen carries essentially the same rights and responsibilities as any other citizen (a possible exception being ineligibility for certain public offices), and is also legally protected.