Impact of Altered Citizenship Regulations on Non-European Residents
In a notable shift, European countries are implementing more stringent citizenship conditions, emphasising longer residency periods, cultural integration, and genuine ties to the nation. This trend, driven by administrative capacity concerns, national security, integration goals, and rising populism, is reshaping the landscape of citizenship laws across the continent.
Denmark kicked off this trend by increasing the citizenship fee by 50 percent, effective from May 1st. Portugal followed suit, proposing to extend the residency requirement for citizenship from 5 to 10 years for most applicants, with exceptions for Portuguese-speaking countries where the period would be 7 years. The new requirements also include demonstrating knowledge of Portuguese culture, history, democratic values, and providing a declaration of commitment to the rule of law.
Italy has introduced reforms to its citizenship-by-descent laws, now requiring applicants to prove a genuine link to Italy such as cultural, linguistic, or societal ties, rather than citizenship being granted solely on heritage. This mirrors a broader European pattern where countries like Germany and Ireland are also tightening jus sanguinis (citizenship by descent) rules and emphasising integration.
The UK, post-Brexit, has aligned EU and non-EU citizen treatment, initially making it more restrictive towards EU citizens. However, the UK has simultaneously made British citizenship easier for Irish citizens by streamlining the process, removing language tests, and reducing fees.
Sweden is considering extending the residency requirement for citizenship from 5 to 8 years, while Finland extended the required residency period for naturalisation from 5 to 8 years last year. Germany has passed a bill to scrap the fast-track path to citizenship, which required only 3 years of residence for people considered "highly integrated".
Notably, both the Conservative Party and Progress Party in Norway have stated their intention to tighten citizenship requirements. Italy's parliament recently adopted new rules that limit the possibility to obtain citizenship by ancestry to two generations.
In most European countries, citizenship laws are regulated via the European Convention on Nationality, signed in 1997 under the Council of Europe. However, eight European countries (Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Poland, and Russia) have not ratified the convention.
Denmark's Immigration Ministry also appointed an expert panel to look into the possibility of screening applicants for views considered "antidemocratic". Sweden, since April 1st, has toughened security checks on citizenship applicants, leading to a temporary freeze on the processing of applications.
Developments in family law, such as the right to transmit citizenship from the non-biological parent to a child in a same-sex family, are affecting citizenship laws in Europe. Despite these changes, the area of citizenship remains regulated at the national level, not by an EU institution.
Overall, this general tightening and more restrictive approach to citizenship rules is a response to social, political, and administrative pressures, aiming to ensure that those granted citizenship have a genuine connection to the country and are integrated into its society.
- The surge in Europe's strict citizenship conditions is causing a ripple effect, as proven by Denmark raising the citizenship fee by 50% and Portugal proposing to extend the residency requirement for citizenship from 5 to 10 years.
- Italy, following the general trend, has reformed its citizenship-by-descent laws, now necessitating applicants to demonstrate genuine ties to Italy, such as cultural, linguistic, or societal ties.
