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France and the United Kingdom have both announced new measures to tighten immigration and citizenship policies, signaling a firmer stance on migration management in Europe.
In France, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau unveiled stricter criteria for granting citizenship, focusing on legal compliance, language proficiency, and economic independence.
Retailleau stressed that French citizenship is rooted in lineage and a genuine sense of belonging.
The new directive instructs prefects to reject applications from foreigners who have previously been in irregular status, raises the bar for oral French language exams, and, starting January 2026, introduces a citizenship test to assess applicants’ knowledge of French history and civic culture.
Applicants will also need to prove financial self-sufficiency to avoid reliance on social aid. These reforms follow a rise in naturalizations, with 66,745 people gaining French citizenship in 2024, an 8.3% increase from 2023.
The UK is moving to curb visa applications from nationalities considered at higher risk of overstaying or applying for asylum.
According to The Times, the Home Office may limit work and study visas for citizens of Pakistan, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka, as part of efforts to reduce net migration. The measures, expected in the upcoming “White Paper on Immigration,” reflect the Labour Party’s pledge to control migration and ensure companies prioritize training local workers.
A Home Office spokesperson confirmed the system is under constant review and that intelligence gathering is underway to identify and act swiftly against misuse of work and study visas.
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