Migration Interdependence and Migration Diplomacy: Comparing Regional Dynamics in the Euro-Mediterranean and America

Abstract International migration is inherently a transnational phenomenon that connects dierent states via human mobility, leading to complex forms of interdependence. This paper examines these complex forms of interdependence through a comparative study of migration interdependence (MI) and regional migration diplomacy (MD) within the Euro-Mediterranean and the Americas. We treat migration interdependence as a historically signicant component of state development in both regions, examining how migration interdependence and regional migration diplomacy have functioned over time. We point to structural similarities in the North-South dynamics that shape MI in both cases, and suggest the significance that relationships of migration interdependence have for understanding the nature of the modern state: modern states are migration states, which are structurally connected via global migration processes. The analysis situates MI and MD within a broader historical and comparative context, in the process providing greater insights into the theory of complex interdependence, as well as the ways in which migration interdependence can lead to both cooperation and conflict over time.