Various EU member states include in their naturalisation framework some form of approximation of the concept defined by the UK government as “earned citizenship”, requiring that prospective citizens prove that they “deserve” national citizenship. In this article, we examine this concept of earning citizenship in the narrowest sense of the economic and employment stipulations that a number of countries apply in deciding who may be granted their national citizenship, and who may be granted EU Long-Term Resident (LTR) status. While much recent research has focused on the effects of naturalisation on immigrants’ economic and employment status ex post facto, this article will examine an earlier stage in the process to identify the extent to which new citizens and EU long-term residents have been pre-selected on the basis of their economic situation. The specificities of economic and employment requirements vary considerably among EU member states, but also, within states, the actual requirements in terms of jobs and income are generally not stipulated in the same way for LTR and national citizen status. Generally, more open access to citizenship indeed, as expected, leads to more naturalisations. More restricted access to citizenship may also have an impact on increasing acquisitions of LTR status, as the second-best option, though only in countries where the latter status is somewhat more accessible. The analysis indicates that economic and employment requirements my represent a particular obstacle in the context of member states with otherwise relatively open access to citizenship.

Publication details and link to source: Claire Healy and David Reichel, ‘Earning Rights: Economic Status and Access to Citizenship’, ICMPD Working Paper 05, May 2013.