The Individual versus the State: Pre- and Post-Migration Bureaucracy

Abstract Some migration literature present a predominant state role, whilst others convey that globalization and transnationalism have resulted in reduced state power. There is ambiguity regarding the destination state’s influence, as compared to individuals, in migration decisions. To fill this gap, I suggest a conceptual theoretical approach for analyzing the relationship between a migrant (emigrant and immigrant) and the state within contemporary democratic regimes of migratory control. Through a political economy lens, I define which political and legal aspects are necessary and sufficient conditions during the migrant trajectory. State decisions dictate who migrates and show which destination countries continue to attempt to control migration, through what I define as ‘post-migration bureaucracy.’ Examining how state limits affect individuals’ agency allows for supplementary research on immigrants’ integration.