Contemporary Transformation of the Citizenship Concept in Time of Globalization and Migration

Obviously, citizenship is a phenomenon in time of legal sustainability and geopolitical transformation that can establish visible and invisible borders between countries (nations), help their citizens legally cross borders between them, avoid artificial barriers and build bridges for their citizens in order to enjoy freedom of movement (specifically in the meaning of article 45 TFEU and relevant Court’s of Justice of the European Union case law). Moreover, citizenship related issues might produce modern challenges for both the law and the society in an inter-connected world in terms of globalization, migration and consumerism. Those three words appeared to be modern megatrends in XXI century because of their application in everyday life and precise influence on state politics, national security and national identity preservation.

Previously we associated citizenship with the pure allegiance (loyalty) to the state, but now we observe a tremendous effect of consumerism on it specifically in the light of such movements as cash-for-passport, citizenship-by-investment, citizenship-for-sale (keeping in mind recent debates in 2014 on ‘EU citizenship for sale’) and rash-for-passport due to Brexit outcomes in 2016. Often, those initiatives are beneficial both for countries and foreigners, who want to improve their own welfare, to live more comfortable, to feel themselves and their family safer, not to pay attention to bureaucracy while doing business and not applying for visa every time they travel worldwide. What about sense of pure allegiance, which is deep-rooted in the citizenship concept? Is it present in modern citizenship? Can people use citizenship on request?