Advances in the Comparative Study of Emigrant Policies

The literature on transnationalism has shown that emigrants maintain economic, social, and political ties with their country of origin. However, only lately have political scientists begun to research the role of the state as a creator and regulator of those ties. The existing literature on the myriad policies through which sending states target their citizens abroad –"emigrant policies" or “diaspora engagement policies”– has so far remained largely confined to either case studies or to specific subissues, such as external voting rights.

With this workshop, we want to convene international scholars working on the fields of migration policy and political transnationalism to discuss the advances in the comparative study of emigrant policies.

The workshop will address three questions: What are the lessons to be learned from the measurement of immigration and immigrant policies to better compare emigrant policies? What are the variations across countries in regards to their linkages with the diaspora? Which theoretical approaches help us understand and explain the different state policies?

For more information please contact Pau Palop: pau.palop@giga-hamburg.de