Migration as a geopolitical (f)actor: An autonomy of migration approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1344/sn2022.26.33950Keywords:
Estudios Migratorios, Geopolítica Crítica, Autonomía de las Migraciones / Migration Studies, Critical Geopolitics, Autonomy of MigrationAbstract
In this article we suggest to interpret migration as a geopolitical factor, a factor which is not always subject to governmental decisions. We conduct a review of the literature on the geopolitics of migration, focusing on migration control, identifying its limits and possibilities. We then present the Autonomy of Migration approach as a way to complement or challenge certain assumptions of the geopolitics of migration literature, such as the analytical primacy of state actions in the migratory field. Using the work of Yann Moulier Boutang, we propose paying attention to the capacity of migratory movement to intervene in the transformation of economic, political, cultural and legal structures. This focus on migrations as a geopolitical factor can guide future research and enrich our understanding of how borders are transforming and of geopolitics itself.
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