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By the second half of the twentieth century, citizenship underwent a significant shift- from being a rigid legal status anchored in the concept of the nation-state toward a fluid condition shaped by context and environment. In the aftermath of the Second World War, expanding globalization, and shifting patterns of migration challenged traditional definitions. Rather than remaining merely a marker of legal standing and national identity, citizenship increasingly became an adaptable status determined by political and social recognition, rights allocation, and economic (re)distribution. Concurrently, new terminology emerged to characterize the varied legal and social statuses of citizens from migratory backgrounds. Because migrants frequently maintain deep-seated ties to their homelands, they cultivate plural allegiances that coalesce into a complex, multi-layered framework of citizenship. This phenomenon, alongside diverse cultural and religious identities, has further solidified collective solidarity within diaspora groups.
While significant research has examined citizenship and belonging among citizens of migrant origin in relation to both their home and host countries, a notable gap remains in studying how migration influences native populations' conceptions of citizenship. Migration dynamics fundamentally reshape the idea of citizenship within immigration societies. This transformation can lead to a more inclusive framework of belonging and membership for some, whereas for others, it triggers a reactionary surge in exclusionary mechanisms, potentially initiating a process of securitization from below/society. The reasons behind both pathways extend beyond pure tolerance and racism and are informed by different factors such as democratic consolidation, pluralism, a widespread rights based civil society, liberal political cultures and internalization of rights and liberties or on the contrary, the uncertainties surrounding the selected country’s immigration policy, economic insecurities stemming from neoliberal economic policies, the escalation of nationalism and illiberalism, democratic backsliding, and the rise of authoritarianism.
Against this backdrop, this panel seeks to foster critical analyses of how citizenship has been shifting within immigration societies, specifically through the lens of native populations. By exploring how migratory dynamics transform notions of membership from the perspective of host states and communities, the panel aims to illuminate the key factors that propel these divergent trajectories.