Understanding Global Migration

Understanding Global Migration gives scholars an account of the migration states now emerging around the world, especially in the Global South. Leading migration scholars have collaborated to offer a bird's-eye view of how countries' migration policies and flows are interdependent.

The book proposes a new typology of migration states that identifies several ideal types beyond the classical liberal one. Much of the world's migration now goes to countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America. The contributors explain how differing histories of colonialism, development, and identity have shaped migration policy in these places.

The book takes a truly global look at the dilemmas of migration governance and asks whether migration will prove destabilizing or lead to greater openness and human development. The answer, it argues, depends on how well states can manage migration, and especially on whether they are willing to respect the rights of the growing share of the world's population that is on the move.