Acquisition and loss of citizenship in EU Member States: Key trends and issues
Access to citizenship status is an important prerequisite for enjoying rights and privileges, such as migration and political rights, as well as for developing a sense of identity and belonging. Since the establishment of Union citizenship, all persons who are nationals or citizens of an EU Member State enjoy the status of EU citizenship, which confers on them a number of additional rights and privileges. However, Member States retain full control over who can be recognised as a citizen. Although the legal rules on the acquisition and loss of citizenship in the EU Member States remain fairly divergent, one can identify a number of key trends and issues. The need to integrate long-term immigrants has pushed EU countries to amend their citizenship laws. This often resulted in making citizenship both more liberal (lowering residence requirements and tolerating dual citizenship) and more restrictive (introducing integration clauses and citizenship tests). The surge in terrorist activities in the EU, which involve citizens, prompted several Member States to revise or reactivate citizenship provisions allowing for citizenship to be revoked. Concerns about immigrants' integration, allegiance and belonging, as well as about the cultural and economic consequences of regional integration and globalisation are at the heart of recent debates about citizenship in Europe. As the Maltese case of investor citizenship shows, the issue of access to citizenship is no longer a matter that concerns Member States alone. The bundling of national and EU citizenship means that Member States have a certain responsibility towards each other when taking decisions over who to accept (or reject) as citizens.
Briefing
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Tipo de publicación
Ámbito político
Palabra clave
- Acuerdo de Schengen
- apátrida
- ASUNTOS SOCIALES
- ciudadanía europea
- competencias de los Estados miembros
- construcción europea
- DERECHO
- Derecho de la Unión Europea
- derecho de residencia
- Derecho internacional
- derechos del niño
- derechos y libertades
- Estado miembro UE
- extranjero
- GEOGRAFÍA
- geografía económica
- integración de los migrantes
- jurisprudencia (UE)
- libertad de circulación
- movimientos migratorios
- naturalización
- política de visados de la UE
- refugiado
- RELACIONES INTERNACIONALES
- seguridad internacional
- terrorismo
- UNIÓN EUROPEA
- VIDA POLÍTICA
- vida política y seguridad pública