Why does Paul Whelan hold passports from the United States, Canada,?
It is not uncommon. I was a British subject born in Australia just after the War. I became an Australian citizen by legislation on Australia Day in 1948, when Australian citizenship first became a thing. Because my mother was an English person born in Scotland, I plan to take out UK citizenship in the near future. My paternal grandmother was born in the island of Ireland, which I believe makes me eligible for Irish citizenship. If Brexit happens and Scotland later becomes independent and remains in the EU, I plan to take out Scottish citizenship, as does one of my colleagues with a father born in Glasgow. This would give me four passports.