Understanding Global Migration

Understanding Global Migration offers scholars a groundbreaking account of emerging migration states around the globe, especially in the Global South.

Leading scholars of migration have collaborated to provide a birds-eye view of migration interdependence. Understanding Global Migration proposes a new typology of migration states, identifying multiple ideal types beyond the classical liberal type. Much of the world's migration has been to countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America. The authors assembled here account for diverse histories of colonialism, development, and identity in shaping migration policy.

This book provides a truly global look at the dilemmas of migration governance: Will migration be destabilizing, or will it lead to greater openness and human development? The answer depends on the capacity of states to manage migration, especially their willingness to respect the rights of the ever-growing portion of the world's population that is on the move.

James F. Hollifield is Ora Nixon Arnold Professor of International Political Economy and Director of the Tower Center at SMU. His other books include Controlling Immigration (Stanford, 4th edition forthcoming). Neil Foley is Robert H. and Nancy Dedman Chair of History at SMU, where he is the Associate Director of the Clements Center for Southwest Studies. He is the author of Mexicans in the Making of America (2017), among others.

"[Understanding Global Migration] promises to generate a vibrant discussion which will engage scholars of migration for generations to come. The rich details of individual cases coupled with an accessible theoretical framework makes this co-edited volume a uniquely valuable resource for political scientists and IR specialists, whose agenda Tsourapas perceptively notes, has been long neglected. But it is an indispensable read for all students of migration and human mobility, as well as for those interested in the nature of the state in a global order."—Gallya Lahav, Perspectives on Politics

"Theoretically rich chapters are matched by accessible empirical data. The authors are delightfully candid in evaluating migration governance and holes in understanding. Highly recommended."—R. A. Harper, CHOICE

"[James] Hollifield and Neil Foley have brought together prominent migration scholars who contribute their expertise on various countries and regions.... This book will undoubtedly receive a wide audience because of its ambition and the incisive analyses of migration policy on a global scale."—Jeannette Money, International Affairs

"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."—Barry Eichengreen, Foreign Affairs

"Written by leading scholars in the field, this book provides a huge breakthrough. It is unique in providing a genuinely global view of how states—liberal and illiberal, Western and non-Western—deal with migration. Understanding Global Migration is essential reading for anyone desiring a fundamental understanding of migration politics."—Hein de Haas, Amsterdam University

"The contributors to Understanding Global Migration have been at the forefront of expanding our understanding of the role migration plays in the international system. This is a welcome addition to the field of migration studies."—Terri E. Givens, McGill University

"All nations today must balance tradeoffs between markets, rights, security, and culture to manage the international mobility of people successfully. Understanding Global Migration gathers together leading scholars to explain how these tradeoffs differ from nation to nation and why getting the balance right is essential for maintaining peace and prosperity."—Douglas S. Massey, Princeton University