About the Book

Abolish border controls? Let in large numbers of immigrants? Can this author can be serious? That may be the immediate response to this book’s evidence in favour of getting rid of costly, often inhumane and only partially effective barriers. But the whole apparatus of passports, visas and fenced borders is relatively new in history. It never used to be regarded as necessary. The United States, Canada and the Latin American countries were built on migration, while Europe has over the past fifty years actively encouraged largescale immigration. Jonathan Moses puts the arguments in favour of free mobility, and counters those against. His conclusions are clear and profound: free international migration can lessen the huge inequalities and injustices of globalization.

Commendations

'The free movement of goods and capital across borders has been hotly debated for decades, with phalanxes of scholars, activists, and politicians arrayed on all sides of the debates. But the free international movement of people is widely regarded as undesirable or impossible, or both. In this courageous book, Jonathon Moses presents a sustained argument for free international immigration. Moses surveys the history and morality of immigration, with social-scientific analysis of its political and economic impact. He finds no compelling reasons for immigration restrictions, and addresses virtually every possible objection to his argument. The political realism of Moses‘ radical proposals may be questioned, but his logic and evidence are impeccable. International Migration is carefully reasoned, forcefully presented, and passionately argued. Intellectual opponents of free international migration have their work cut out for them.' - Jeffry Frieden, Professor of Government, Harvard University

'An excellent book - cogent, well-argued and comprehensive. Right on target for a world that is not fully reconciled to the logic of globalisation.' - Nigel Harris, Professor Emeritus, University College London; author of The New Untouchables: Immigration and the new world worker; Thinking the Unthinkable: the immigration myth exposed.

'This book stands out in the vast literature on globalization.It speaks with clarity and moral force on an aspect of globalization on which relatively little has been written. There has been almost an academic conspiracy of silence on the question of international migration. In this book the author weaves together political, economic and moral arguments to make a persuasive case for his vision of a world without borders. It is refreshingly provocative for the boldness of ideas, and provides a counter-point to the one-sided view that all we need in the name of globalization is freer trade and mobility of capital, but not the mobility of labour.' - Amit Bhaduri, Professor Emeritus at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and author of The Intelligent Person‘s Guide to Liberalization (1996) and On the Borders of Economic Theory and History (1999).

Contents

Preface and Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
A timely argument... - ...a good argument.. - ...but a difficult argument
2. Two Paradoxes of Globalization
Economic inequalities - Political inequalities - Growing demand for migration
3. Some Historical Perspective
Migration in the Long Arc of History - The Mercantilist Period - The Liberal Period - The New Liberal Period - Conclusion
4. The Moral Argument
Mobility as a universal right - The instrumentalist argument - Conclusion
5. A Political Argument
The problem with closed borders - The case of apartheid - The market-based approach - The political benefits of free migration
6. An Economic Argument
Host country benefits - Sending country benefits - International benefits - Conclusion
7. Who Opposes Free Migration?
Public opinion - The undying state - Diffuse and particular interests
8. Questioning Conventional Wisdom
The great flood of immigrants - Brain drain - Migration‘s effect on culture - The challenge of political realism - Security concerns
9. Conclusion and Policy Responses
Policy responses - Broadening the debate
Notes
List of Figures
2.1 Map of Income
2.2 Map of Freedom
7.1 Public opinion about levels of immigration
7.2 Immigrant influence
8.1 Sharing customs and tradition
List of Tables
2.1. Less Developed Countries
Suggested Reading
Index

About the Author

Professor Jonathon W. Moses has been at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) since 1993.

Academic Adoption Information

This book is used for teaching at the following institutions:

Newcastle University

University of Wales

University of Nottingham