Long-term resident third-country nationals in the European Union: normative expectations and institutional openings

Abstract

Long-term resident third-country nationals in the European Union are no longer invisible. The Communitarisation of migration-related matters by the Amsterdam Treaty has opened up possibilities for the development of a comprehensive, legally binding and less restrictive framework as regards long-term resident third-country nationals. The Commission's recently proposed directive aims at harmonising national laws governing the acquisition and scope of long-term resident status and granting long-term resident third-country nationals free movement rights within the Union. Although the grant of European denizenship is a welcome development, it should be seen as a first step towards equal membership and full political inclusion.