International migration, international relations and foreign policy

Area of Science:

• International Relations
• Foreign Policy Analysis
• Global Political Economy

Background:

• The article reviews recent literature on migration, international relations, and foreign policy.
• It highlights the application of global systems paradigms, state entry/exit rules, and domestic policy-making processes in migration studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To argue for seeking mid-range generalizations on the international relations of migration.
• To suggest that analysis of migration should commence with the policy-setting processes of the state.

Main Methods:

• Review of contemporary theory in global political economy.
• Application of comparative perspectives from domestic policy-making studies and international comparative public policy.
• Evaluation of future research directions in state-to-state relations.

Main Results:

• Identifying the political roles of transnational social forces within domestic policy contests.
• Proposing a framework for empirical analysis of international migration relations.
• Suggesting that regional or intermediate patterns in global migration politics can inform broader theories.

Conclusions:

• Mid-range generalizations are crucial for understanding the international relations of migration.
• Analyzing domestic policy-setting processes is key to understanding the influence of transnational forces.
• Further research into migration patterns can contribute to general theories of international political economy.