The Ethics of Immigration

Abstract

The number of migrants worldwide has grown rapidly in recent years, and it is thus unsurprising that immigration has also grown in prominence as a political issue: whether via the expansion of visa-free regimes such as the Schengen Area, the rise of nationalist and anti-globalisation movements in Europe and the US, or the growth of policies favouring emigration as a source of remittances in the developing world. However, while immigration becoming an ever more preoccupying part of the political landscape, there is very little agreement – within or between states – on how to deal with it. This case study looks at various frameworks for interpreting and categorising existing immigration policies as well as developing new ones.