Chapter 1 Introduction
The age of migration
Challenges of global migration
Challenges:
- Sovereignty of states, their ability to regulate movements of people across their borders
- Transnationalism: important and durable relationships of a political, economic, social or
cultural nature in two or more societies at once -> undermines the undivided loyalty seen as
crucial to sovereign nation-states.
Reasons to expect the age of migration to endure:
- Growing inequalities in wealth between the North and South are likely to impel increasing
numbers of people to move in search of better living standards
- Political, environmental and demographic pressures may force many people to seek refuge
outside their own countries
- Political or ethnic conflict in a number of regions could lead to future mass flights
- The creation of new free trade areas will cause movements of labour, whether or not this is
intended by the governments concerned
Forced migrants: people who have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge elsewhere
Contemporary migrations: general trends
General tendencies:
- Globalization of migration
- Acceleration of migration
o International movements of people are growing in volume in all major regions at the
present time -> increases the urgency and difficulties of government policies
- Differentiation of migration
- Feminization of migration
- Politicization of migration
- Proliferation of migration transition
o Traditional lands of emigration become lands of transit migration and immigration as
well
International migration in global governance
No strong cooperation in migration field -> International Migration Organization
- Has terms of reference
- But not a UN body -> lacks of capacity to bring significant change
- Unwillingness of rich labour-importing countries to enforce migrant rights -> increase costs
of migrant labour
Ethnic diversity, racism and multiculturalism
Issues arising from the population movements of the current epoch:
- Regulation of international migration
- The other is the effect of growing ethnic diversity on the societies of immigration countries.
Settlers are often distinct from the receiving populations.
Social meaning of ethnic diversity -> depends on the significance attached to it by receiving country
- Generally seen immigrants as permanent settlers -> assimilation and integration
- Not all potential immigrants have been as suitable
, People whose living conditions are already changing -> newcomers as the cause of insecurity.
Professional transients: highly skilled personnel who move temporarily within specialized labour
markets.
One of the central ways in which the link between the people and the state is expressed is through
the rules governing citizenship and naturalization:
- States which readily grant citizenship to immigrants, without requiring common ethnicity or
cultural assimilation, seem most able to cope with ethnic diversity.
- On the other hand, states which link citizenship to cultural belonging tend to have
exclusionary policies which marginalize and disadvantage immigrants.
The age of migration
Challenges of global migration
Challenges:
- Sovereignty of states, their ability to regulate movements of people across their borders
- Transnationalism: important and durable relationships of a political, economic, social or
cultural nature in two or more societies at once -> undermines the undivided loyalty seen as
crucial to sovereign nation-states.
Reasons to expect the age of migration to endure:
- Growing inequalities in wealth between the North and South are likely to impel increasing
numbers of people to move in search of better living standards
- Political, environmental and demographic pressures may force many people to seek refuge
outside their own countries
- Political or ethnic conflict in a number of regions could lead to future mass flights
- The creation of new free trade areas will cause movements of labour, whether or not this is
intended by the governments concerned
Forced migrants: people who have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge elsewhere
Contemporary migrations: general trends
General tendencies:
- Globalization of migration
- Acceleration of migration
o International movements of people are growing in volume in all major regions at the
present time -> increases the urgency and difficulties of government policies
- Differentiation of migration
- Feminization of migration
- Politicization of migration
- Proliferation of migration transition
o Traditional lands of emigration become lands of transit migration and immigration as
well
International migration in global governance
No strong cooperation in migration field -> International Migration Organization
- Has terms of reference
- But not a UN body -> lacks of capacity to bring significant change
- Unwillingness of rich labour-importing countries to enforce migrant rights -> increase costs
of migrant labour
Ethnic diversity, racism and multiculturalism
Issues arising from the population movements of the current epoch:
- Regulation of international migration
- The other is the effect of growing ethnic diversity on the societies of immigration countries.
Settlers are often distinct from the receiving populations.
Social meaning of ethnic diversity -> depends on the significance attached to it by receiving country
- Generally seen immigrants as permanent settlers -> assimilation and integration
- Not all potential immigrants have been as suitable
, People whose living conditions are already changing -> newcomers as the cause of insecurity.
Professional transients: highly skilled personnel who move temporarily within specialized labour
markets.
One of the central ways in which the link between the people and the state is expressed is through
the rules governing citizenship and naturalization:
- States which readily grant citizenship to immigrants, without requiring common ethnicity or
cultural assimilation, seem most able to cope with ethnic diversity.
- On the other hand, states which link citizenship to cultural belonging tend to have
exclusionary policies which marginalize and disadvantage immigrants.
