Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/272413 
Year of Publication: 
2022
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 15786
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Several European countries have reformed their citizenship policies over the past decades. There is much to learn from their experience of how citizenship works; for whom it works; and what rules and policies matter for integration. The article surveys recent quasi-experimental evidence and field experiments from the social sciences on the link between eligibility rules, take-up and integration outcomes. Across countries and reforms, the evidence shows that faster access to citizenship increases take-up and improves the economic, educational, political and social integration of immigrants. Other eligibility rules like civic knowledge tests or application fees also impact who naturalizes and therefore benefits from citizenship. Birthright citizenship, which is much less common in Europe, turns out to be a powerful tool for getting second-generation immigrants off to a good start. Together, citizenship acts as a powerful catalyst benefiting immigrants as well as host countries.
Subjects: 
citizenship
integration
immigration
JEL: 
J15
J2
J31
J61
K37
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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