Immigration and the boundaries of citizenship

This paper proposes that the concept of citizenship refers to the equality and universality of civil, political and social rights within a political community. in our world of nation-states, the universalism and egalitarianism of citizenship is limited by external and internal boundaries. after the enfranchising of propertyless classes and women the most conspicuous remaining boundaries are those of nationality, which are legally codified as nominal citizenship. however, rights of citizenship are no longer totally confined to those individuals, who are formal members of a state. human rights, rights of legally immigrating aliens and rights of long term resident foreign citizens can be seen as a gradual expansion of citizenship beyond the national and territorial boundaries of the original concept. even regarding immigration, there is reluctant recognition that the right of the nation-state to regulate admission according to its own judgement and interests, may be restricted by rights or compelling needs of individuals to be admitted. international migration creates a new context for the formulation of citizen rights. this paper proposes a frame for analysing different positions of citizenship and establishing normative guidelines for policies of reducing these differences. expansion of 'denizenship', i.e. the rights of long term resident aliens, establishing a right of naturalisation and access to dual citizenship emerge as the most important policies of an equalization of citizenship.;