Migration and Citizenship

No. 45 MAY 2014

Migration represents a challenge for the public policies of democratic states. On the one hand, globalisation has given new impetus to transnational people movement. On the other hand, the profiles of the countries and of the migrants themselves have also changed profoundly. We have seen migration with characteristics very different from that previously seen, the most important aspect being a move away from migration exclusively focused on the labour factor to migration motivated by the movement of human capital and consumption. All this led to a rethinking of the migration policies of countries and the integration and rights of migrants. EU and international law must seek answers to these new realities, including the growing phenomenon of illegal immigration. This context also requires rethinking the relationship between immigration and citizenship. In fact, these two concepts must be seen as two sides of the same coin and cannot be separated from each other. This implies accepting that citizenship must be seen as a mechanism for the inclusion of immigrants and cannot be used exclusively as an instrument in the service of State sovereignty.