The problem of denizenship: a non-domination framework

The status of being a non-citizen or ‘denizen’ has been described as second-class citizenship. But many instances of denizenship are not morally troubling, e.g. highly skilled temporary workers. This paper examines the conditions under which denizenship is problematic by developing a framework for addressing the problem of denizenship, structured around the republican ideal of non-domination. Denizens are subject to the coercive power of the state like citizens, but lack many of the accountability mechanisms citizens enjoy. Whether this matters, I argue, depends on their exit costs of leaving the state of denizenship: either by leaving the country or by acquiring citizenship. This model could inform policies in three areas: improving the accountability of countries to their non-citizen population, empowering denizens in private relationships and reducing arbitrariness in citizenship acquisition. Although republicanism provides the conceptual architecture for this study, the concept of ‘exit costs’ has wider relevance for immigration theory.