Citizenship, National Identity and Migration: European Perspective

Rad preispituje sponu između državljanstva, nacionalnog identiteta i migracija koja je postala važno političko pitanje u novonastalim državama kao i u Zapadnoj Europi. U prvom dijelu rada autorica analizira pojam državljanstva kao i veze s osnovnim konceptima na koje se državljanstvo odnosi. Po kojem principu država štiti svoje granice, zašto baš po tom, tko može prijeći koje granice, a tko ne propituje se u značenju termina “državljanstvo”, koje se razlikuje od države do države slijedeći legalne tradicije, povijest svake nacije i države i aspiracije za budućnost. Zbog toga je, naglašava autorica, državljanstvo kao koncept povezano s pojmom nacije, manjine i demokracije jer nijedno drugo pitanje ne pokazuje kako politička zajednica želi definirati sebe. Koncept nacionalnosti utječe na imigracijsku politiku. Različite nacionalne tradicije i političke kulture rezultirale su razlikama u stupnju integriranosti imigranata. Tip državljanstva koje država institucionalizira i različiti načini uključivanja imigranata u život zajednice ključna su pitanja kojima se članak bavi. Nisku stopu naturalizacije imigranata-stalnih stanovnika problematizira posljednji dio rada, te se predlažu moguća rješenja kojima bi se postiglo punopravno članstvo regulirano novom formom državljanstva.The author examines links between citizenship, national identity and migration as these issues have become politically important in the new independent countries as well as in Western Europe. Firsts, she analyzes the meaning of the citizenship concept and that of the basic concepts pertaining to it. What type of citizenship is applied by any individual country; who may cross a country\u27s borders and live and work in it; and who may not - all of these are analyzed against the meaning of the term citizenship something that varies from country to country as the concept of citizenship is shaped by a country’s individual legislative traditions, history and aspirations. Therefore, points the author out, citizenship as a concept is linked to the notion of the nation, of minorities within it and democracy because no other question is more relevant to demonstrate the way a political community wishes to define itself. The concept of nationality, the author explains, influences immigration policies. Different national traditions and political cultures have resulted in varying extents to which immigrants are integrated. The key question that has become the focus of the article pertains to the type of citizenship institutionalized by the state and various solutions to include all permanent residents in its community life. The problem which has provoked these questions is the existence of 10-12 million people permanently settled as foreign residents in Western Europe today but the number of those seeking citizenship in their respective host countries is relatively low even after 10-15 years of residence. Why is the rate of naturalization low, the author tries to answer in the last part of the article as she puts forward possible solutions