Campaigner Emma DeSouza says her legal team has lodged grounds to appeal a ruling, which found that people born in Northern Ireland are automatically British.

The Derry woman is to appeal a UK immigration tribunal ruling, handed down earlier this month.

The British Home Office had appealed a previous ruling which found that Ms DeSouza was an Irish national and had only ever been Irish.

But an upper tribunal overturned that decision - meaning that, under UK law, people born in the North must renounce British citizenship if they do not want it.

That is despite the fact that the Good Friday Agreement says that they have the right to be British, Irish or both.

In a tweet, Ms DeSouza said: "The case will effectively determine whether individuals born in NI can have British citizenship imposed upon them contrary to the expeess provisions of the GFA.

"We believe in the Good Friday Agreement."

And it's off. Our counsel has lodged the grounds of our application to appeal. The case will effectively determine whether individuals born in NI can have British citizenship imposed upon them contrary to the expeess provisions of the GFA. We believe in the Good Friday Agreement. pic.twitter.com/tUW3F4bnhE

— Emma DeSouza (@EmmandJDeSouza) October 26, 2019

Following the ruling, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: "The Good Friday Agreement is eloquent on this matter in my view.

"The Good Friday Agreement says that people in Northern Ireland have a right to be British, Irish or both, and accepted as such.

"That is the letter and spirit of the Good Friday Agreement.

"It is my view that the British citizenship laws are out of step with the letter and spirit of that agreement."

And Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the Good Friday Agreement is "crystal clear" on the issue.

She said the case suggests that the UK is trying to "deny, frustrate or rob" Irish citizens in the North of their rights in a post-Brexit scenario.