Temporalities in Greek citizenship acquisition and naturalization: A political discourse analysis and narratives of lived experiences

Abstract

This thesis examines the temporalities of Greek citizenship acquisition and naturalization and approaches citizenship acquisition as a temporal process shaped by political discourse, national identity, legal procedures, socio-economic conditions, and migrants’ lived experiences. This research focuses on three dimensions of temporality: temporality as a challenge to established notions of deservingness, temporality as a tool of control and restriction, and temporality as a mechanism of inclusion influenced by socio-economic conditions. The findings indicate that migrants with extended histories of residence often experience differentiated and prolonged pathways to citizenship, whereas ethnic Greeks from Albania are provided with a more facilitated procedure. Simultaneously, migrants’ experiences of residence, employment, family life, and social participation challenge the notion that citizenship must be continuously earned or justified. This thesis argues that temporality functions not only as an administrative aspect of naturalization, but also as a mechanism through which political membership, inclusion, and belonging are negotiated. Consequently, citizenship acquisition is conceptualized as a temporal struggle for recognition, wherein the state determines both who may become a citizen and the timing and conditions under which their lived belonging is formally recognized.