The Boundaries of Belonging: Reflections on Migration Policies into the 21st Century

This paper examines the politics of categorization that defines people who move, as well as the migration containment policies that set and maintain the boundaries of these categories. The paper explains why “the problem” is not migration per se, but rather the way the powerful seek to control and contain the movement of people. Migration policies are a form of population control; the issue is who is controlled, and how. And because of the who, and the how, migration policy is a justice issue. Indeed, it is one of the most pressing justice issues of our time, and requires the consolidated and coordinated attention of all of us concerned with issues of human rights and social justice. It cannot be ignored.