europe Braces for Shifting Immigration Landscape in 2026
BRUSSELS – A wave of new and revised immigration policies is set to reshape the landscape for foreign residents across Europe in 2026, as individual nations prepare to implement changes ranging from visa fee hikes to stricter migration controls. The shifts come as the European Union navigates implementing its newly adopted ‘Pact on Migration and Asylum,’ facing resistance from several Member States.
The coming year will see important alterations to immigration rules in key European countries, impacting both prospective and current foreign residents. These changes reflect a broader trend of increased scrutiny and, in some cases, tightening of immigration policies across the continent, fueled by political pressures and debates surrounding national identity and economic concerns. “The EU is under pressure to start implementing its recently adopted new ‘Pact on Migration and asylum’,” notes an expert,”Considerable opposition and disagreements have already been expressed by a number of Member States and it will be engaging to see how these challenges to common EU policy-making will be overcome.”
Sweden: New Swedish migration rules in 2026 are expected to bring ample changes for foreign residents. Details of these changes can be found here.
France: The French government is proposing to increase visa and residency card fees as part of a wider set of changes taking effect in 2026. A full breakdown of these changes is available here. Despite potential setbacks for the far-right in local elections, analysts suggest their prospects for 2027 remain strong.
Germany: The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party’s calls for increased ‘remigration’ are facing widespread pushback, signaling a potential turning point in the national debate. More data on this can be found here.
Italy: italy’s proposed 2026 budget bill includes potential impacts for immigrants, notably a planned increase to the flat tax for wealthy foreign residents. details of the budget are available here.
Spain: A potential shift in power to the opposition PP in Spain could lead to the implementation of 10 new migration laws impacting foreigners. These laws, if enacted, could considerably alter the rights and obligations of foreign residents. A detailed overview of these potential changes is available here.
