Redefining Belonging in Europe: Citizenship, Residence and Irregularity
- Europe Must Act
- 5 days ago
- 1 min read
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European governments and societies are grappling with questions of belonging in an era of tightening migration controls, leading to a redefinition of the very nature of citizenship.
Although citizenship remains a foundational status that defines access to rights, protections, and political participation, it has increasingly been presented as a privilege one that can be earned, restricted, or even withdrawn. At the same time, the way a person enters a country is progressively used to determine their access to this status, as problematic concepts such as “illegal migrants” and “illegal routes” are mobilised to justify exclusion.
As each European country maintains its own evolving set of policies governing citizenship, residence, and protection, it remains difficult to form a comprehensive picture at the EU-wide level.
Comparative research offers some insight into these variations, including the 2019 report The European Benchmark for Refugee Integration and the 2026 working paper Pathways to European Citizenship: A Comparative Case Study of Spain and Poland. Together, these studies highlight the uneven and shifting landscape in which citizenship is no longer a fixed status, but an increasingly contested and politically shaped category.
Building on recent research and broader developments across the continent, this report explores these shifting policies and increasingly polarised approaches that determine belonging.
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