De-Nationalizing Control: Analyzing State Responses to Constraints on Migration Control

Abstract

Examines legislative & regulatory reforms in France, Germany, the Netherlands, & the US that led to new actors & levels in migration control. An analysis of differences & similarities in immigration control among these four countries emphasizes the role of ideas, interests, & institutions. A look at possible explanations for recent trends in immigration includes the partial delegation of migration policy to a range of actors outside the central nation-state bureaucracies. It is contended that it has become necessary to rethink traditional views of national sovereignty to recognize that the delegation of policy competence does not necessarily indicate a loss of sovereignty. The role of various national institutions, including the courts, in constraining migration is discussed. It is maintained that looking at coalitional distributions & institutional arrangements at the national, international, & local levels sheds light on which agencies/political actors dominate at each level & increases understandings of policy outcomes. The importance of security at all levels is emphasized. 1 Table, 86 References. J. Lindroth