A/HRC/7/23 page 15 live compactly together in a part of a State’s territory might be entitled to rights regarding the use of language, and street and place names which are different from those who are dispersed, and might in some circumstances be entitled to various forms of internal autonomy.23 V. IMPACT OF DISCRIMINATORY DENIAL OR DEPRIVATION OF CITIZENSHIP ON MINORITIES 44. Despite the above legal framework, States continue to engage in practices that discriminatorily deny or deprive persons of citizenship. The consequences of denying or depriving citizenship to minority groups are considerable, with a negative impact on the affected persons’ living conditions and the degree of their integration in society.24 State practice demonstrates that citizenship still matters when it comes to the practical aspects of accessing many fundamental rights, including minority rights. 45. Some States explicitly reserve the enjoyment of minority rights for citizens, or minorities legally recognized by the State. Those denied or deprived of citizenship face additional challenges to the realization of the right to the protection and promotion of their collective cultural identity, including in regard to the recognition and use of minority languages or the freedom to practice minority religions. Deprivation of citizenship generally results in the inability to participate politically, by silencing minority voices and skewing political representation. 46. By linking citizenship to ownership rights, employment or access to services, the State allows access to wealth and resources to those groups it favours, to the detriment of those it wishes to marginalize. Often impoverished and uneducated, they are disempowered, are no longer guaranteed the protection of the State and are rendered vulnerable to further discrimination. They are often subjected to violent attack, arbitrary expulsion or deportation. A minority’s physical existence in a State can be threatened by mass expulsion on the grounds of their lack of citizenship status. 47. The marginalization and disenfranchisement of large groups of minorities may undermine conditions of human security and sow the seeds for underdevelopment and unrest. If minorities are located in border regions, and indeed if there are defined transnational communities, then the deliberate exclusion of particular populations may have significant consequences for both internal and regional security. 23 Commentary of the Working Group on Minorities to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.5/2005/2), para. 10. 24 See Thematic discussion on Non-Citizens and Racial Discrimination (CERD/C/SR.1624). See also concluding observations of the Human Rights Committee - Estonia (CCPR/CO/77/EST), para. 14.