Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has signed a revised version of the citizenship law that significantly tightens naturalization requirements for foreigners. The law will take effect upon publication in the Diário da República.
The main change concerns the length of residence required to apply for citizenship. For most foreigners, it increases from 5 to 10 years, and for citizens of EU countries and Portuguese-speaking Commonwealth states, to 7 years. Additionally, the period will be calculated not from the date of application for a residence permit, but from the date the first residence card is issued.
The reform also introduces additional integration requirements. Applicants for citizenship will need to demonstrate proficiency in Portuguese at the A2 level, pass a test on culture, history, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens, confirm their commitment to democratic principles, prove sufficient means of support, and demonstrate no serious criminal convictions.
A separate part of the reform, concerning the possibility of losing citizenship in the event of serious crimes, remains under review by the Constitutional Court. Previously, the court had already ruled unconstitutional a number of provisions related to automatic denial of citizenship and vague grounds for its revocation.
For foreigners who viewed Portugal as one of the fastest EU jurisdictions for obtaining citizenship through legal residence, the reform means a significant lengthening of the planning horizon. This could have a particularly noticeable impact on residence permit holders and investors under the Golden Visa program: the residency program itself, according to available data, remains unchanged, but the path from residency to citizenship is becoming longer.
The tightening of rules comes amid rapid growth in the number of foreigners in Portugal. According to AIMA, as of the end of 2024, more than 1.5 million foreign citizens resided in the country, which is roughly double the number from three years earlier. The largest group consists of Brazilians—more than 450,000 legal residents.
According to available estimates, the largest groups of foreigners in Portugal also include citizens of India, Angola, Ukraine, Cape Verde, Nepal, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Guinea-Bissau, and Pakistan. According to data cited from preliminary AIMA statistics for 2024, the number of Ukrainians in Portugal was estimated at approximately 79,200 people. Separately, regarding temporary protection, according to the Prague Process, as of February 2025, approximately 56,700 Ukrainians with temporary protection status were residing in Portugal. According to some estimates, the number of Ukrainians in Portugal could reach 300,000.
As of December 31, 2025, 1,131,197 foreigners were registered in the Czech Republic – 37,108 more than the previous year (+3.4%), according to data from the Ministry of the Interior and the statistical unit of the Czech Statistical Office, as cited by the information and analytical center Experts Club.
According to the Ministry of the Interior’s estimate, foreigners account for 10.38% of the country’s population (the calculation used a population figure of 10,897,178 as of September 30, 2025). This means that the “native population” (residents without foreign citizenship) amounts to about 9.766 million people (an estimate based on the difference between the figures).
The structure of legal residence at the end of 2025 included 343,876 people with temporary residence, 394,265 with permanent residence, and 393,056 registered under the temporary protection regime. The highest concentration of foreigners is recorded in Prague (32.4% of all registered foreigners) and in the Central Bohemian Region (14.5%).
Ranking: Top 10 nationalities among foreigners in the Czech Republic (31.12.2025)
| Rank | Country | Number of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ukraine | 612,953 |
| 2 | Slovakia | 125,280 |
| 3 | Vietnam | 69,685 |
| 4 | Russia | 37,524 |
| 5 | Romania | 21,287 |
| 6 | Poland | 17,631 |
| 7 | Bulgaria | 17,562 |
| 8 | Mongolia | 14,908 |
| 9 | Philippines | 14,530 |
| 10 | Hungary | 12,111 |
If current demographic trends continue, the EU population will age and begin to decline after the middle of the decade, and in a scenario of zero net migration, the decline could be sharp, to approximately 294 million by 2100, according to calculations based on Eurostat projections (EUROPOP2023).
According to Eurostat’s baseline scenario, which assumes continued positive net migration, the EU population will grow from 446.7 million in 2022 to a peak of 453.3 million in 2026, after which it will gradually decline to 419.5 million by 2100 (down 6.1% from 2022).
At the same time, Eurostat also publishes alternative scenarios (sensitivity tests), including a zero net migration option. In this scenario, the total population of the EU by the end of the century is significantly lower – estimated at around 294 million people, which means a reduction of about one-third from mid-2020s levels. These differences are also highlighted in visualizations based on Eurostat data, as cited by regional media.
The key driver of population decline is negative natural growth. According to Eurostat estimates, between 2022 and 2100, approximately 291.3 million people could be born in the EU, with 416.6 million deaths (a net reduction due to natural movement of approximately 125.3 million), while cumulative net migration in the baseline scenario will partially offset the losses, adding about 98.1 million people.
At the country level, the differences are even more noticeable. In Eurostat’s baseline scenario, the largest population declines by 2100 are expected in Latvia and Lithuania (more than a third), as well as in Greece. At the same time, a number of countries, on the contrary, show population growth due to migration, including Luxembourg and Ireland.
It is noted separately that for Croatia, Eurostat’s baseline scenario predicts a decline in population from about 3.86 million in 2022 to about 2.82 million in 2100, while in scenarios with stricter migration assumptions, the final figures may be lower.
According to Eurostat, as of the end of July 2025 there are 4,373,455 citizens of Ukraine under temporary protection in EU countries. Over the month their number increased by 30,980 people, that is approximately by 0.71% compared to the June level — the dynamics are moderate but stable, indicating a continuing, though not surging, movement of people in search of safety. The overwhelming majority of beneficiaries of this regime — about 98.4% — are Ukrainians, which makes the group of aid recipients extremely homogeneous and requires focused integration measures.
The distribution by countries remains concentrated: the key burden is borne by Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. In Germany there are about 1,196,645 people — roughly 27.8% of the total; in Poland — about 992,505 people (around 23%); in the Czech Republic — about 378,420 people (about 8.8%). Taken together this is almost three-fifths of all recipients of protection, therefore it is precisely these economies and their social systems that first react to any changes in inflow: in large agglomerations the issues of housing affordability become acute, the need for school places and language courses grows, and municipal budgets face continuous obligations.
In such conditions, reception policy inevitably shifts to an integration agenda. Coming to the fore are the accelerated recognition of qualifications, intensive language programs, access to kindergartens and schools, as well as reskilling instruments. The labor market becomes the main shock absorber: the faster people move into formal employment, the lower the budgetary burden and the more noticeable the multiplier effect for domestic demand. At the same time, the housing issue remains the key risk: concentration in capital and industrial regions pushes rental rates upward and increases social tension. Effective responses appear to be targeted rent subsidies, accelerated renovation and construction of social housing, as well as a more even distribution of placements among municipalities.
Finally, the predictability of financing and interagency coordination at the EU and national government levels becomes critically important. Even with the current “soft” monthly increase, unreliable sources of funds quickly turn a manageable situation into a problem for local budgets. On the horizon of the coming months, the key indicators of resilience will be the growth rates of protection beneficiaries, the share of those employed, indicators of school and preschool integration, the dynamics of rental rates in concentration regions, and the speed of transition from emergency measures to long-term programs. Overall, the picture of stable but continuing growth with high concentration in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic requires shifting efforts from short-term aid to systemic integration — precisely this will make it possible to reduce budgetary costs and turn the humanitarian response into a sustainable socio-economic result.
EU, GERMANY, HOUSING, Labor market, MIGRATION, POLAND, REFUGEES, SOCIAL POLICY, TEMPORARY PROTECTION, UKRAINIANS
Relocation has analyzed the latest data on migration in Italy and identified a number of trends and features. As of the beginning of 2025, 5.2 million migrants officially reside in Italy, which is about 9% of the country’s total population of 58.5 million people. In our study, we rely on official data from the country. It should be borne in mind that, according to various estimates, about 4 million more migrants may reside in Italy illegally. Italy remains an important destination for migrants due to its geographical location, economic opportunities, and EU membership.
Migrants play a significant role in the country’s economy, taking jobs in sectors where there is a shortage of local labor.
Detailed analysis of the main groups of migrants
Employment of migrants by sector
Agriculture:
More than 30% of workers are migrants, mostly from North Africa and Eastern Europe.
The seasonal nature of the work makes this sector particularly dependent on migrants.
Construction:
About 20% of workers are migrants, especially from Albania, Ukraine and North Africa.
Services and domestic staff:
Migrants hold up to 60% of jobs, including cleaning, childcare, and elderly care.
Restaurant and hotel business:
A significant part of the staff (up to 40%) is made up of migrants from Asia and Eastern Europe.
Industry and manufacturing:
Asian migrants (especially Chinese) play a key role in the textile industry.
The system of assistance to migrants in Italy
Migrant reception centers:
In the south of the country, especially in Sicily and Lampedusa, there are centers for temporary accommodation of migrants. Social assistance is provided – financial support for refugees and asylum seekers, as well as integration programs: language courses, professional retraining. Children of migrants are entitled to free education in public schools. Free access to primary health care for all migrants, regardless of their status.
Migrants play an important role in the Italian economy, occupying key positions in agriculture, construction and services. However, the successful integration of these groups requires a comprehensive approach that includes social support, educational initiatives and legal protection. Efforts to improve conditions for migrants will help Italy not only maintain stability in the labor market, but also improve the overall economic climate.
Source: http://relocation.com.ua/analiz-migratsii-v-italii-ot-relocation/
Net migration to the United Kingdom (the difference between the number of immigrants and emigrants) in the year to June 2023 amounted to a record high of 906 thousand people, according to revised data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Previously, a positive migration balance of 740 thousand people was reported. Among the reasons for the revision, the ONS cites more available data, additional information on visas for Ukrainians, and optimization of the procedure for assessing migration from countries outside the so-called EU+ (EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland).
In the year to June 2024, net migration fell by 20% compared to the revised level of the previous 12 months – to 728 thousand people. The decline is mainly due to a decrease in the number of dependents arriving on study visas.
