Policy across borders: the political sociology of emigration ; La politique au-delà des frontières : la sociologie politique de l'émigration

Abstract

This article aims to develop a framework for analysing the political sociology of emigration. The article focuses on the dual nature of the migration phenomenon: immigrants are also emigrants, foreigners in the legal sense are also citizens, foreigners in the social sense are also nationals, the exclusion from receiving societies are also members of the societies of origin. Of the issuing company, but no longer in this society, migrants are members whose cross-border connections and adaptation needs lead the issuing state to expand across borders; however, living abroad weakens their claims to belong. In the receiving society, but not in that society, they have access to economic and political resources that enable them to exercise influence at home; on the other hand, as foreigners, their rights are limited and their acceptance uncertain, a vulnerability which may increase when continued engagement with the country of origin gives rise to suspicion on the part of the nationals of the receiving State. This variety of conditions triggers interventions by issuing states seeking to protect and influence nationals residing abroad, but also to respond to the demands of these citizens outside the country and channel them in order to better recover them. However, the extension to the territory of a foreign country paves the way for the exercise of power, be it despotic or infrastructural, allowing only the exercise of influence. In addition, even limited commitments run the risk of igniting the passions of nationals, which are already concerned about the presence of a foreign population among them. ; This paper seeks to develop a framework for analyzing the political sociology of emigration. The paper emphasizes the dualities at the heart of the migration phenomenon: immigrants are also emigrants, aliens are also citizens, foreigners are also nationals, non-members are also members. At once of the sending state, but not in it, the migrants are members whose everyday cross-border connections and ongoing needs draw the ...