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Global Migration: Who’s in charge? Paul Tacon 20 October 2015

Plan Introduction Global Governance How Global Governance Emerges International Migration in Global Governance History of Global Migration Governance Migration Governance Future(s)

Introduction International migration is one of the global megatrends of the 21 st century Almost 232 million people living outside their country of birth in 2013 (≈3% of the global population) (UN) A significant proportion (possibly the largest share) is South- South (UN/World Bank) Migrants sent around US$436 billion to developing countries in 2014 (World Bank) Migration takes many forms Voluntary labour migration Refugee migration

Introduction

We are in an age of global governance International migration is inherently a transboundary issue It’s an integral part of human history and a structural feature of the modern world The benefits of liberalization of migration are vast: “the emigration of less than 5 percent of the population of poor regions would bring global gains exceeding the gains from total elimination of all policy barriers to merchandise trade and all barriers to capital flows” (Clemens, 2011) It also creates challenges that no state can manage alone Ethical, human rights-based approach would suggest freer migration is best (Carens, 2011)…

Introduction … And yet, international migration is “governed almost entirely at the level of the nation-state… and states guard that prerogative jealously.” (Opeskin, 2008) States set rules allowing some people to move Other people move in an irregular fashion, exposing them to risks Why is this? Migration and Sovereignty Migration and the international system And what are the counter-trends? What future prospects are there for migration governance?

Global Governance State sovereignty and anarchy… But also cooperation What is global governance? “norms, rules, principles and decision-making procedures that regulate the behaviour of states” (Betts, 2011, p.4) Most developed form: a regime, with “institutions and organizations expressing these values or norms” The global trade regime The human rights regime

How Global Governance Emerges Interests: States act according to their interests in creating global governance Responding to provision of global public goods and overcoming free-riding incentives through creating formalized means of cooperation and oversight, reducing costs, etc But states need to recognize this is an interest Power: powerful States provide leadership… Example: the US in the global trade regime … and can block progress if they do not have an interest Process, not an outcome Example: growth of the trade regime

International Migration in Global Governance Reality of migration governance: States still the main actors in migration governance, and their unilateral right to control their borders remains largely unchallenged. Not stopping migration, but aiming to control it (with some people evading that control) However, states involved in different processes at regional and global level at different levels of formality, with different aims and different relationships towards migration E.g. at regional level (EU), more progress is possible How has this come to be?

International Migration in Global Governance Migration is challenging for States, because it is about the movement of people Legal perspective: “[a] central attribute of sovereignty is the power of a State to regulate its territory by controlling the movement of people across its borders” (Opeskin, 2008, p. 6) Challenges an ordered world of clearly-defined nation- states defined by territory and the allegiance of the people in them. Also, practical challenges of duties and costs

International Migration in Global Governance State interests in migration – is there a global public good? Yes – it would be less costly for everyone and remove a major distortion in the global economy (Hollifield) No – only a few would benefit from this removal of barriers (Betts) Interest: many states do not consider the global governance of international migration to be in their interests “Cultural threat” of migration “Economic threat” of migration Internal government incoherence Lack of political constituency States of destination are able to get what they want from migration in the existing framework

International Migration in Global Governance States of origin: what are their interests? High levels of emigration of low-skilled nationals and rights-numbers trade-off No interest in issue-linkages and securitizing migration Power: The power is with the States of destination The countries of destination have (labour markets) what countries of origin want access to: States of destination "the implicit 'makers' of migration governance" while states of origin are “‘takers’ of migration governance." (Betts, 2011, p. 22)

History of Migration Governance Largely reflects the will of states of destination; maintains their power to include/exclude migrants at will. Discussions mostly informal and outside UN framework. No single UN agency overseeing the process However, some leadership from the UN, especially on migration and development

2003-present: Suddenly migration was everywhere: UN initiatives; High-level Dialogues; Global Forum on Migration and Development; Migration in the Sustainable Development Goals : Discussions on intergovernmental conference on migration 1990: Convention on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and Members of their Families : tentative steps 1890s-mid 20 th century: uncontested state control s: state sovereignty but general right to travel

History of migration governance Regional governance: E.g. EU, EEU, ECOWAS, CARICOM; Enabling freedom of movement, residence and employment within a group of countries UN-level coordination Global Migration Group

History of Migration Governance Betts: “Embedded migration governance” Developments in other policy areas have had an important impact on states' latitude on regulating international migration. Example: Human rights regime Refugee regime General provisions applicable to migrants Specific provisions for migrants Example: Sustainable Development Goals Overall development agenda which picks out migrants in specific areas Specific target (10.7) focusing on global migration governance

Migration Governance Future(s) Formal multilateral migration governance is weak; some cooperation in informal forms; some engagement by the UN. Body of international norms which, although not specifically related to international migration, play a role in placing restrictions on how states can behave with international migrants. States still in the driving seat; gaps in migration governance

Migration Governance Future(s) However, international (migration) order is dynamic. Power relations and perceptions of state interests are not set in stone, while international organisations can acquire their own interests and momentum Example: High-level Dialogue 2013 Other actors are involved: Civil society Migrants themselves Example: refugees from Syria in Europe

Migration Governance Future(s) Where are we? Where are we going? Potential for change: Agreement of common interest on migration Example: Migration and development Shifts in global order Example: the rise of India Example: from country of destination to country of origin Example: climate change and migration

Thank you!