ABSTRACT
When migrants come to a new destination, or host state, they typically lack citizenship, that is, a formal status that conveys rights, privileges, protection, and sometimes identity. States can make it easy or difficult for newcomers to obtain citizenship, and a number of factors contribute to whether migrants may or may not take up this option. This chapter explores both the variation in access to citizenship and migrants’ preferences for host country citizenship. It begins with an empirical overview of the different ways an immigrant can gain citizenship in a host state, from birth-based rules to naturalization. Second, the chapter reviews theories of citizenship: What does citizenship mean? Why do people become citizens? What determines how citizenship policies are designed? What effect does citizenship have on a migrant’s life course? Third, this chapter considers two ongoing controversies issues related to citizenship. First, what are the consequences of restrictive citizenship laws? Second, it discusses under what conditions a state can strip, or de-naturalize, someone of their citizenship, with a specific discussion of how states treat citizens who left to fight for the Islamic State.
