Receiving states’ migration laws remain the single largest driver of migration flows

Evidence

According to migrations systems theory, any migratory movement can be seen as the result of interacting macrostructures and microstructures. Macrostructures include large-scale institutional factors such as global markets, interstate relationships, and the migration laws and policies of both sending and receiving countries. The evolution of an increasingly integrated world economy has clearly been a major determinant not only of labor migration but also of nation-building migrations and refugee flows. International relations and security considerations in both sending and receiving states are also increasingly significant (Weiner, 1993; Cornelius et al., 1994). The single main determinant of migration, however, is probably still the laws and regulations imposed by states of receiving countries, in response to a wide range of economic, social, and political factors. Although international cooperation is increasingly important in migration policy, domestic considerations still play a dominant role. — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 3838

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines migration systems theory and its macrostructures/microstructures distinction.