ABSTRACT
Immigration and citizenship policies, by defining entry and membership, set the human boundaries of any political order. This chapter explores the extent and nature of political and policy change in this sector by comparing developments within France, Germany and Canada. Freeman distinguishes between three national traditions: settler societies, recent mass migration states and traditional sending states. Citizenship policy may be distinguished by degrees of inclusiveness and exclusiveness, evident in the legal requirements for naturalization. Constitutional provisions governing immigration, human rights and citizenship provides the formal foundations shaping issues and policy. The expanding capacity of modern nation-states to control borders and manage economies meant that such movements gradually became public policy concerns. The survey of immigration and citizenship permits some preliminary interpretations regarding the consequences of trends in immigration policy for politics. The watershed 1998 election brought to power a socialist-green coalition, marking a crucial turning point in immigration and citizenship policy.
