A citizen of a hostile state

After the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Great Britain became a refuge for people fleeing the persecution of the Nazis, including Jews and political immigrants. Initially, the authorities interned these refugees along with other residents of the Axis countries . When Italy entered the war, a significant number of Italian citizens were also interned.

The Isle of Man , located some distance from Britain and having many small houses built for tourists, was the center for the accommodation of citizens of hostile states during the First World War . Internees were also transported outside the UK. Once, a catastrophe occurred: in July 1940, the Arandora Star passenger ship was torpedoed and sank while transporting Italian and German citizens to North America. 805 people, including prisoners, sailors and guards, were killed. ^[1] 813 surviving prisoners were subsequently loaded onto the Bunker Dunera with other internees, together their number was 2,442 . They were transported to the city of Hay, Australia. ^[2]

The Royal Pioneer Corps was probably the only British military unit where citizens of hostile states could serve. Thousands of Germans and Austrians entered the corps to take part in the liberation of their countries from the Nazi regime. The fighters were mostly Jews and political opponents of the Nazis, who fled to Britain before the outbreak of war. Cameraman Ken Adam, writer George Clare, and journalist Robert Maxwell served in this unit. The corps soldier was often called "the most loyal to the king of enemies." ^[3] Some of them were then transferred to various military units. Others were recruited by the Office of Special Operations (ODR) as undercover agents. They were ordered to choose their "English" name, while using their old initials. ^[four]

It was especially dangerous for German citizens to serve in the British Armed Forces, because if they were captured, they would most likely be executed for treason. The number of Jews from Germany serving in the British forces was particularly high: by the end of the war, one in seven Jewish refugees fought in them. Their knowledge of the German language and culture was also very useful. Many of them then served in the occupation administration in Germany and Austria after the war ^[5] .

A textbook example of citizens of hostile states is the Japanese who lived in the United States during World War II . Many Japanese and Japanese Americans were imprisoned at Roosevelt’s internment camps along with German and Italian Americans . However, at the same time, many prisoners had American citizenship, so they did not exactly fall under the definition of "citizens of hostile states." The term "citizen of a hostile state" then meant citizens of the Axis countries who were not Americans. Thousands of people were forbidden to apply for American citizenship on the basis of the Naturalization Act of 1870: when their countries entered the war, they turned from "residents" into "citizens of hostile states." A total of 10,905 Italian Americans and about 110,000 Japanese Americans were interned in various camps throughout the country. German Americans resided in more than 50 different internment camps.

Such citizens who resided in the United States during the war were required to carry a “citizen of a hostile state” certificate and report to local police stations every month. Similar norms also existed in Canada and Mexico ^[5] .

• Foreigners