Citizenship and Migration in the International Order

Abstract

AbstractCitizenship is usually defined in terms of the rights and duties of citizens in relation to nation states. The definition used in France refers to the philosophical content of the social contract and the values of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789, whereas in most countries it refers to nationality rights (which are specifically conceived in terms of “nationality” in France). However, the concept of citizenship is now being challenged by migration, because the nation state is no longer the only reference in terms of individuals’ belonging. Transnational diasporas, border-crossing experiences, and the existence of large numbers of undocumented migrants are calling into question both the international system of national borders and the concept of citizenship, since various forms of citizenship have developed in response to migration issues in the international order (local citizenship for foreigners, dual citizenship, refugee status for asylum seekers, etc.). Citizenship is also becoming a multicultural phenomenon in large immigration countries, which sometimes change their constitution in response to such changes in their populations. Transnational diasporas, as new actors in the international order (acting through “the strength of weak ties”, as Mark Granovetter puts it; 1973; see also Safran, 1991; Scheffer, 2006) are becoming increasingly influential and blurring the boundaries of states owing to the diversity of links that they build across borders.