The so-called migration crisis in 2015 brought back old debates about who should be protected by the state and, moreover, who should have the possibility to belong to it. Through citizenship laws and electoral rights states determine who counts as members of the national community and hence, who is eligible for citizenship. These are known as citizenship regimes which presuppose - for immigrants and their descendants – different opportunities to become citizens and to participate in electoral processes.
These varieties of citizenship laws and policies are better understood within a global perspective that compares the opportunities and implications of becoming a citizen in different contexts. The Global Citizenship Observatory (GLOBALCIT) addresses the need to understand the varieties of citizenship laws and policies in a globalised world, where national perspectives are not enough to explain the transformations of membership. GLOBALCIT provides reliable and comparative data on the content, causes and consequences of the laws that govern the acquisition and loss of citizenship. During the seminar, the consequences of certain citizenship regimes were discussed, with an emphasis in the Nordic countries.
Participants
Rainer Baubock, Professor, European University Institute introduces GLOBALCIT for practitioners, researchers and policy makers.
Karin Borevi, Professor in political science, Södertörn Högskola.
Per Mouritsen, Professor in political science, Århus University.