General perspectives: citizenship rights and migration

Abstract

A surge of immigration has brought about a deluge of theories about “citizenship” to conceptualize the rights, obligations, identities, and inequalities of immigrant groups. This chapter examines three major themes about citizenship and migration. First, the foundational theories of citizenship and human rights -- liberalism, communitarianism, social democratic theory, and global theories (both post-colonial and cosmopolitan) – frame how politicians and activists pursue citizenship. Second, legal immigrants and ‘second class citizens’ gain full citizenship through social movements and political action. Third, temporary immigrants, refugees, and the undocumented -- gain citizenship through naturalization, asylum status, or amnesties. These three processes follow quite different paths, which are contested by social movements for greater citizenship and anti-immigrant politicians pursuing restrictions and deportations. Much of the conflict is fought around contrasting (1) theories of liberal, social democratic and cosmopolitan rights for immigrants, and (2) theories of communitarianism, self-determination, and sovereignty for nation-states protecting ‘native’ citizens.