Understanding Global Migration

This multidisciplinary collection of essays broadens the analysis of migration from the handful of cases that dominate popular discussion and scholarly literature—typically to do with migration to Europe from the Middle East and Africa and migration to the United States from Latin America. It adopts a global perspective, describing how countries in both the global North and the global South deal with migration. The editors categorize migration policies in terms of four types of states. First is the “post-colonial migration state” in Africa and the Middle East, where governments adopt and then adapt migration policies inherited from the colonial period. Second is the Asian “developmental migration state” characterized by strong borders and institutionalized rights for specific categories of migrants. Third are the “settler migration states” of the Americas, historically committed to attracting immigrants but often challenged by anti-immigrant nativist movements. Fourth are “post-imperial migration states,” notably in Western Europe, that extend preferential treatment to migrants from their former colonies. Each kind of state has its strengths and weaknesses: there is no one ideal type. This ambiguity underscores the editors’ conclusion that crafting effective policies that respect the rights of migrants while addressing the legitimate concerns of natives will be one of the key economic challenges of the twenty-first century.