How nation-states create and respond to refugee flows

Area of Science:

• Political Science
• Sociology
• International Relations

Background:

• The nation-state is often presumed legitimate when representing a cohesive community.
• Nation-states can face internal pressures leading to instability and conflict.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elaborate a theory of refugee production based on nation-state dynamics.
• To analyze policy formation in the context of nation-state-induced migration.
• To examine international refugee policy post-Cold War.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical elaboration of nation-state dynamics.
• Analysis of factors contributing to forced migration.
• Review of international refugee policy and practice.

Main Results:

• Identifies three primary reasons for forced migration within nation-states: multi-national composition, internal socio-economic disagreements, and resource-driven state implosion.
• Develops a theoretical framework linking nation-state characteristics to refugee flows.

Conclusions:

• The nation-state model inherently contains mechanisms that can lead to forced migration.
• International refugee policy must account for the internal dynamics of nation-states.
• Post-Cold War political changes necessitate a re-evaluation of refugee policies through this theoretical lens.