Abstract
Under what conditions do authoritarian states exercise control over populations abroad? The securitisation of cross-border mobility has been a common theme in examining immigration policies in the Global North. The securitisation of emigration and diasporas in non-democratic contexts remains neglected; this is particularly true with regard to Arab states’ extraterritorial authoritarian practices. This article argues that authoritarian states develop a range of migration policies that are driven by the contradictory pressures of economic and political imperatives or, put differently, an illiberal paradox: if a state does not expect economic gains from cross-border mobility, it is more likely to securitise its emigration policy; otherwise, it is more likely to securitise its diaspora policy. The article illustrates this trade-off via a most-similar comparison of Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco. Drawing on Arabic and non-Arabic primary and secondary sources, it sketches a novel area of research on migration and security.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 351-370 |
Number of pages | 20 |
Journal | Ethnic and Racial Studies |
Volume | 43 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 26 Mar 2019 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 26 Jan 2020 |
Keywords
- Authoritarianism
- migration
- Middle East
- North Africa
- diasporas
- securitisation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cultural Studies
- Anthropology
- Sociology and Political Science