The Rise of Interstate Cooperation on International Migration

By Chris Rudolph
Reported by: Aaron Laylo, PS 282 (2ND semester 2010-2011)

MAIN ARGUMENT OF THE PAPER

o The evolution of state responses to international migration is an indirect function of the broad
process of globalization as it is related to changes in migration, and a direct function of
interdependence and political learning.
SUPPORTING ARGUMENTS
o Globalization has facilitated increased volume and diversity of global migration flows, which has in turn
both altered state interests and increasingly politicized the issue. This has, in turn, increased the
political desire to increase the capacity of state control and has contributed to a growing
interdependence between states that constitute international migration system (Kritz, Lim, and Zlotnik,
1992).
o Consequently, it stands to reason that where globalization is more advanced, a higher level of
interdependence is likely to exist between states in the region that will result in a higher proclivity for
them to adopt a management strategy based on interstate cooperation and coordination.
o Lastly, as policy makers have become increasingly knowledgeable about migration dynamics and its
consequences—economic, strategic, societal, and political—they have become increasingly open to
pursuing more cooperative policies with other countries.
SECTIONS
o Section 2: Macro-historical approach vs. other models of immigration policy formation; how ideas
regarding the link between migration control and sovereignty have impacted the way policy discourse
has been framed and the types of policies that have historically been considered
o Section 3: how globalization has impacted global migration dynamics, including volume and
composition; how these changes have affected state interests, and subsequently, state preferences.
o Section 4: how these changes foster interdependence between countries, and how this impacts
interests and policy preferences
o Section 5: an overview of regional variation in state policies discussed in the context of both
interdependence and political learning
o Conclusion: an emergent paradox: that states must cede sovereignty in order to maintain sovereignty
with regards to migration, as well as directions for future research along the lines delineated herein.
POINTS FOR ANALYSIS
o How old is the link between immigration control as a foundation of sovereignty and the
establishment of this as a policy imperative?
Answer:___________________________
o What are the two critical aspects to recognize in the evolution of state behavior towards
migration?
Answer: 1. __________________________________________
2. __________________________________________
o What is one important consequence of an emphasis on state sovereignty as far as migration is
concerned?
- Traditionally (i.e. since the advent of state authority over migration as policy interest) debates
about policy responses have emphasized this quality and constrained policy options—favoring
those unilateral in nature and domestic in orientation. In effect, coordination with other countries
would necessarily constrain a state’s sovereignty in this respect; Hence, it should be of little
surprise that most states have sought to pursue an independent (i.e. unilateral) approach to policy
o What are the trends that have emerged among migrant-receiving states:
a. policies among primary immigrant-receiving countries are becoming increasingly similar (what they
refer to as the “convergence hypothesis”) and that there appears to be a growing gap between the
stated objectives of policy and actual effects on migration flows (referred to as the “gap hypothesis”)
b. The important implication of these trends might be considered to constitute what we could refer to
as the “globalization thesis”—that states are, in fact, losing control of their borders as the globalization
of international migration continues to grow (Sassen, 1996).
 c. the increasing tendency of policy responses that move beyond the domestic sphere (Cf. Newland
and Papademetriou, 1998; Ghosh, 2000; Martin, 2001; Meyers, 2002). There is certainly evidence of
variation in the degree that states have moved toward international approaches to managing
migration, however the trend is unmistakable.
o What are the factors on which globalization has significant effect?
a. Volume.
 Globalization’s impact on migration volume is not limited to reduction in transportation costs
and ease of communications through innovations of the IT revolution (though these certainly
are significant in explaining rising flows of global migration). The emergence of an increasingly
global trading system since WWII has had a tremendous impact on both the pace of
globalization and its related effects. One of the most significant trends of such globalization is
the growing disparity of wealth—both within countries and between them (Sassen, 1999;
Mittelman, 2000).
 Trade globalization and the industrialization associated with it can contribute to this dynamic of
increased migration pressures. Saskia Sassen (1993:98) notes, “The internationalization of
production established linkages between the U.S. and several ‘Third World’ countries and,
furthermore, has uprooted and mobilized people into migrations.”
 Globalization’s effect on the disparity of wealth within primarily receiving states can also
contribute to increased migration pressures, though perhaps not as significantly as those
mentioned.
b. Composition
 Globalization also has an effect on the composition of such global flows. Migration is more
ethnically, racially, and culturally diverse than ever before, and globalization continues to
contribute to this process
 Globalization and the disparity of wealth it forwards also contributes to the skills composition
of flows in much the same way it affects volume.
c. Interests
 Globalization has not only had a significant impact on the magnitude, timing, and character of
contemporary migration flows, but consequently, has affected the calculation of interests
among both receiving and sending states. As with any regulated flow, states seek to maximize
the utility of policy for the national interest.
o How significant and crucial is interdependence on international migration?
o Interdepence is a function of what three elements?
1) the divergence of interests concerning migration between sending and receiving countries
2) policy linkage between migration-related policies and other central interests of the state; and
3) the inadequacy of unilateral policies to successfully manage international flows at desired levels.
o What press states toward a fundamental shift in policy grand strategy—from one that stresses
policy independence (i.e. Westphalian sovereignty) to one that seeks to achieve higher levels
of cooperation with other states?
- It is this combination of a growing interest in achieving higher levels of control over migration and
the increasing degrees of global interdependence.
- It may be the case that such interdependence actually preceded these trends toward increased
cooperation
o The growing interdependence between states within migration systems, and the growing awareness of
this condition by policy makers may help us to understand the pressures toward international
cooperation and the formation of multilateral regimes to govern the movement of people across
borders
CONCLUSIONS
o Maximizing both Westphalian and domestic sovereignty require higher levels of state control over
cross border flows, which Krasner defines as “interdependence sovereignty.”
o Yet, globalization and interdependence increasingly require that states willingly cede some
degree of policy autonomy (a facet of Westphalian sovereignty) in order to achieve broader
maximization of other facets of sovereignty.
o In this sense, movement toward increased policy internationalism is the product of an
important “sovereignty bargain” (Rudolph, 2005).
o “As a state’s own sensitivity and vulnerability to others’ actions increase, it is likely to be more willing
to trade some legal freedom of action for additional influence over others’ policies.”