From Brussels to Washington, governments embrace stricter migration rules

European Union

To start with, nine, yes, you heard that right, nine EU member states, Italy, Denmark, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, have called for a reinterpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights to ease deportations of foreign offenders. Governments argue that rulings by the European Court of Human Rights are obstructing removals and require revision.

Denmark

Denmark’s model, which inspired parts of Britain’s reforms, grants only temporary protection that can be revoked if conditions improve in a refugee’s home country. The government has tied state support to integration, toughened the path to citizenship, and tightened reviews of asylum status.

France

France’s 2024 immigration law, described as the toughest in decades, sought to curb family reunification and narrow access to welfare. The Constitutional Council later struck down many provisions on procedural grounds, significantly weakening the package.

Germany

Germany has accelerated asylum procedures, as Berlin expanded its list of “safe” countries to speed returns, and simplified deportations of rejected applicants and offenders. At the same time, the country has eased access to residency and citizenship for long-term integrated migrants and skilled workers.

Greece

Greece suspended for at least three months the processing of asylum claims from migrants arriving by sea from North Africa to Crete and reinforced land and maritime border controls.

Ireland

Ireland has advanced reforms to accelerate decisions and appeals, with further tightening expected from 2026. The government also reduced state accommodation for Ukrainian refugees from 90 to 30 days.

Italy

Italy has tightened sea rescue rules, expanded detention for undocumented migrants to 18 months, and limited humanitarian protection. A deal with Albania will allow offshore processing of intercepted migrants beginning in 2026. Italy also introduced fast-track procedures for applicants from “safe” countries.

Netherlands

Dutch lawmakers are debating measures to restrict access to asylum, reduce residence permits to three years, and further limit family reunification. Major parties support tougher controls.

Portugal

Portugal approved legislation doubling residency requirements for citizenship to ten years and tightening family reunification rules, pending Constitutional Court review.

Sweden

Sweden is sharply increasing repatriation grants to 350,000 crowns and plans tougher citizenship requirements. The government is examining whether dual nationals convicted of serious crimes can lose citizenship.

United Kingdom

Britain has announced what the government calls the most sweeping asylum overhaul in modern times. Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said the reforms will make refugee status temporary and accelerate the deportation of those who arrive illegally. She outlined changes to how the European Convention on Human Rights should be interpreted by UK courts, saying the goal is to give authorities greater control over who can remain in the country.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain’s current asylum system “is a significant pull factor” and “more permissive than other countries in Europe.” The reforms include extending the waiting period for permanent settlement from five years to twenty, and possible visa bans on Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo if those states do not accept the return of irregular migrants.

Mahmood warned that an asylum system open to abuse allows “dark forces” to stoke anger, saying, “Unless we act, we risk losing popular consent for having an asylum system at all.” The government plans a stricter interpretation of Article 8 on family life, limiting it to immediate relatives, and seeks wider cooperation with like-minded countries on revising the application of Article 3 on inhuman and degrading treatment.

Human rights groups criticized the policy, with Freedom from Torture warning the rules would “punish people who’ve already lost everything.”

United States

Across the pond, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued updated guidance effective August 1, 2025, aimed at strengthening screening of family-based visa petitions. The agency said, “Fraudulent, frivolous, or otherwise non-meritorious family-based immigrant visa petitions erode confidence… and undermine family unity.” USCIS added, “We are committed to keeping Americans safe by detecting aliens with potentially harmful intent.”

Key updates include stricter documentation requirements, rules on multiple petitions, interview mandates, and warnings that approval “does not give legal status” if applicants are later found ineligible. The guidance applies to all pending and new filings.

The Trump administration has separately expanded deportation operations, set a daily arrest quota of three thousand, and broadened enforcement powers across federal agencies, prompting legal concerns over “pushing the boundaries” of presidential authority.

Canada

And last, but definitely not least, Canada is scaling back immigration targets to 395,000 in 2025, then 380,000 and 365,000, amid housing shortages and pressure on public services. Ottawa is tightening temporary worker rules and capping international student permits, with Immigration Minister Marc Miller citing concerns over institutions “profiting from foreign students.” Provinces warn the changes may deepen labor shortages while universities prepare for sharp enrollment declines.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that USCIS announced last Thursday it will reexamine green card holders from 19 “countries of concern.”