Europe’s conversation on immigration started about “illegal” migration, but now it’s spreading to legal immigration and stripping citizenship from people who are born in Europe but do not conform to ethnic nationalist standards. The “remigration” debate as it is called, is driven by far-right movements, centres on the mass deportation or voluntary return of immigrants regardless of their legal status or citizenship. The concept is rooted in the Great Replacement conspiracy theory, which claims that European populations are being systematically replaced by non-European migrants. Far-right groups frame remigration as a solution to preserve “European identity” and cultural homogeneity. Here are a few examples, but this movement has proponents in every EU member nation without exception.
Austria
Martin Sellner, a leading figure in the European remigration movement, has authored a book titled “Remigration: A Proposal”, advocating for the mass removal of migrants categorized as illegal, legal non-citizens, or “non-assimilated” citizens. His ideas have influenced far-right discourse across Europe.
These ideas are politically represented by the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ). The FPÖ openly supports remigration as a core part of its political platform. Led by Herbert Kickl, the FPÖ advocates for policies aimed at promoting the return or deportation of non-integrated migrants, including those with legal residency or even citizenship if they are deemed “non-assimilated” or a “burden” to Austrian society The FPÖ is currently the largest party in the Austrian parliament since capturing 29.2% of the vote in 2024. As of 2026 their share of the vote has actually risen to 38%
Spain
Vox has called for the the revocation of citizenship for those deemed “disloyal” to Spain. The party’s rhetoric aligns with the broader European far-right narrative on remigration. As of of 2026, Vox is polling at 17.6–19.3% nationwide.
Germany
In November 2023, a secret meeting in Potsdam revealed plans by AfD members and far-right activists (including Austrian Martin Sellner) to deport asylum seekers, legal residents, and even “non-assimilated” German citizens with migrant backgrounds. The proposal sparked massive protests and calls to ban the AfD, but the party continues to push remigration as a core policy.
With Germany, we can look to the obvious lessons from recent history. Let’s not forget that the Nazi plan for the Jews for the vast majority of their reign was to strip Jews of German citizenship and “re-migrate” them to Palestine or Madagascar.
- Nazi Party is formed in 1920
- Nazi Party elected to power: 1933
- Nazi Party shifts from remigration to genocide at the Wannsee Conference 1942. 66% of the Jews in Europe were killled in the three years between 1942 and 1945 in the Holocaust
The Nazis campaigned on remigration for 13 years, and implimented a plan for remigration for the first 9 years of their rule. It was only in the last three years of their rule when it became obvious that Germany could not spare the shipping resources to re-migrate all of the Jews that they pivoted to mass murder in secret. As millions of Jews were being murdered in death camps, the population was told that this was a “resettlement” program because remigration had broad support, even amongst the populations other occupied European countries.
Portugal
The holocaust didn’t take place in Portugal, because Portugal had already destroyed it’s Jewish population in 1497. Pre-1497, Portugal was between 10% and 20% Jewish, but in 1497 it immediately dropped to 0% and remains at 0.01% today. A similar fate happened to Muslims, who made up 5% – 10% of the Portuguese population just before they were “remigrated” in 1496. Muslims only make up 0.4% of Portugal’s residents today, yet the vast majority of Portuguese believe that 0.4% is too high.
The latest Nationality Law of Portugal includes provisions to strip non-racially Portuguese of their Portuguese citizenship and deport them if convicted of a crime, without specifying what that crime may be. The far-right Chega party who is poised to win the next Portuguese election is behind this Nationality Law sees remigration based on “criminality” as a foot in the door towards full re-migration, but the law did not pass because of Chega alone, it has broad support across the entire spectrum of Portuguese society.
First Tweet (Rita Maria Matias · Jan 31):
“Pedro Nuno Santos just presented measures to the Assembly of the Republic to regularize immigration. Five years after Chega’s warnings, there is now practically consensus regarding the need to close the doors. Could it be faster to realize that the solution is remigration?”
Second Tweet (Rita Maria Matias · Feb 2):
“Good Sunday!”
Photo is of Chega leader Andre Venture piloting a plane.
Portugal serves as a nexus for the remigration debate in Europe. Portugal hosted the Remigration Summit 2026 in Figueira da Foz, attended by 500 far-right figures from across Europe, including Martin Sellner and AfD politicians. The event aimed to normalize remigration as a policy goal and coordinate strategies across borders.
For Canadians thinking of moving to Europe
I originally moved to Portugal lured by the promise of “an EU Passport in 5 years”. After many years and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent, I realized too late that there is no such thing as an “EU Passport”, that the EU is nothing more than a union of ethnic nationalist states. Portugal wanted immigrant’s money, but it did not want the immigrants themselves nor did it respect the diversity that immigration brings.
Obtaining citizenship in one of these ethnic nationalistic states is not the equivalent of obtaining citizenship in multicultural Canada. Multiculturalism does not exist in Europe, and having spent numerous years living without it, I have realized how liberating it is to live in a place that accepts everyone as equal.