+34
Planned changes would put Ireland among the ‘least hospitable’ countries for naturalisations, expert claims
Planned changes would put Ireland among the ‘least hospitable’ countries for naturalisations, expert claimsthrough naturalisation have been drawn up with an eye to “what the rules are in other countries”, according to Minister for Justice The length of residency required before someone can be granted citizenship ranges from three to 10 years among different European countries.is on the lower end with a three-year requirement.
Ireland’s current requirement of five years is the same asTrump scraps tariffs on Irish whiskey ‘on behalf of the United States of America’Ireland has set its sights on an eight-year requirement under the new proposals. Ten years is the standard requirement in Austria, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia, though each country has quicker pathways for applicants who are EU citizens, refugees or spouses of citizens. Portugal increased its requirement from five to 10 years in May.
In Spain, the length of residency required varies greatly. The standard length of time is 10 years, but it is just one year for spouses of Spanish citizens and two years “for nationals of Latin American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal or persons of Sephardic origin”.
Sergi Pardos-Prado, who researches immigration as professor of comparative politics at the University of Glasgow, said Ireland, with its current stipulation of five years, is “currently within a very typical residency requirement, leaning towards the liberal side”. However, residency periods are typically combined with requirements to pass language and civic knowledge tests. Ireland currently does not have these, which “are common everywhere”, according to Pardos-Prado.
Whether Ireland would become more restrictive compared to other EU countries after the introduction of such tests would depend on how they were designed and implemented. O’Callaghan has said the aim of the proposed changes is to “restrain ... the growth” in the number of people being granted Irish citizenship through naturalisation.
“There is some evidence that migrants prefer destination countries with an easier access to naturalisation, so there is some evidence that this could work,” Pardos-Prado said. “However, changes in naturalisation law are typically less consequential to determine migration than other factors, like a strong labour market demand. ” On the other hand, research shows that making naturalisation difficult can cause problems with integration.
“It is very well established in the academic literature that accessing citizenship provides a genuine boost in migrants’ economic and social integration,” Pardos-Prado said. If the Government wants to encourage integration, research indicates that the hardest part of migration should be moving to Ireland in the first place; after that, there should be as few barriers to participating in society as possible.
“The best policy mix is one in which the more restrictionist element of the policy happens at the very beginning. Once this is achieved, softer access to social rights and to naturalisation boost integration. ” Professor Anna Triandafyllidou, who is a Canada Excellence Research Chair in migration and integration at Toronto Metropolitan University and founding director of the Global Migration Institute, said the proposed changes would make Ireland “part of the least hospitable countries in terms of naturalisation requirements”.
“While requiring a strong connection to the country before naturalising makes a lot of sense, there is no real good justification of raising the residency requirement to eight years,” she said. “For a country where foreign-borns account for over 20 per cent of the total resident population and 12 per cent are non-citizens, this is a very concerning development. It risks alienating a good part of the population.
”How can my daughter make the most out of her visit to Higher Options 2026? Soft toy ban among new restrictions for roadside crash memorials in south DublinTrump’s focus turns to Doonbeg as thousands in Dublin and Clare protestPeople who would never normally get bail are walking free because of the legal aid rowHow can my daughter make the most out of her visit to Higher Options 2026?
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Tycoon king of the castles: Magnate Hearst built pleasure-domes from California to GalwayAmerican newspaper giant’s ties to Ireland stretch back to a childhood visit to Dublin
Read more »
Trump Advocates for United Ireland Amidst Political OppositionUS President Donald Trump has voiced strong support for Irish unification, sparking debate among UK and Irish politicians. While some leaders oppose the idea, others consider it a logical resolution to the island's historical conflicts.
Read more »
The Irish Times view on the Trump visit: diplomacy takes second placeThe US president’s comments on a united Ireland grabbed attention
Read more »
Ireland Faces Housing Viability Crisis Amid Rising Energy CostsIreland's housing sector is in distress, with the minister calling it dysfunctional and citing the need for better planning, infrastructure and financing. While state subsidies and VAT measures have temporarily boosted apartment supply, long-term sustainability requires aligning planning, development economics and infrastructure, lessons that can be drawn from European models.
Read more »