International Migration Governance: Policies and Practices in Diverse Societies

The intensification of human mobility worldwide has put the topic of migration governance at the forefront of policy-making. Recent events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement or the so-called ʻrefugee crisisʼ have further incentivised the salience of migration and the polarization around the issue at the political and societal level. In parallel, an increasingly rich debate on diversity policies has emerged in academic circles, drawing attention on the complex interactions between different levels of government (national, sub-national, supranational) and actors (public authorities, trade unions, civil society organizations, etc.) with an active role in shaping migration policy-making in home countries, host countries, or transnationally. Additionally, such growing scholarly interest in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of migration and integration policies has also been coupled with a rising concern over the effect of such policies on migrants’ lives or their processes and (sometimes shifting) motivations of settlement or return.

This Section aims to bring together panels and papers that engage, from a critical perspective, with international migration policies and practices. Following an interdisciplinary approach and diverse methodological viewpoints, the Section welcomes panels and papers that focus on the different social, economic, political and/or legal facets of immigration, emigration, integration or return. We are particularly interested in proposals focusing on:

- Immigration policies and migration governance from a multilevel perspective;
- Dynamics of labour market incorporation of immigrant populations and returnees;
- Migrants’ social inclusion and access to basic services and welfare;
- Diaspora policies and the governance of emigration;
- Public opinion towards migration and diversity;
- The salience of migration in political debates;
- Border control and international management of migration flows;
- Migrants’ political engagement in origin/receiving countries and patterns of transnational political mobilisation and claims-making;
- Citizenship regimes, the design and effects of naturalization policies;
- Forced displacement, asylum governance and the protection of refugees;
- Narratives of belonging in diverse societies;
- Intra-regional mobility and the role of supranational actors in migration management.