The strategic politics of cross-border mobility : a typology of migration interdependence

TSOURAPAS, Gerasimos

doi:10.1177/01979183251369832

The strategic politics of cross-border mobility : a typology of migration interdependence

dc.contributor.author	TSOURAPAS, Gerasimos
dc.date.accessioned	2025-10-30T17:30:01Z
dc.date.available	2025-10-30T17:30:01Z
dc.date.issued	2025
dc.description	Published online: 01 September 2025	en
dc.description.abstract	How do states navigate cooperation and coercion in the governance of labor migration? This article introduces a novel framework for understanding strategic behavior in migration diplomacy, grounded in the concept of migration interdependence. It argues that state strategy is shaped not only by material power but also by the distribution of exposure to the consequences of disrupted migration flows. When stronger states are more exposed, cooperation becomes rational; when stronger states are less exposed, or when weaker states possess credible alternatives, coercion becomes viable. The article develops a two-axis typology to explain these dynamics and applies it to four bilateral labor migration corridors: New Zealand–Pacific Islands, Russia–Central Asia, Gulf States–Nepal, and Malaysia–Indonesia. These cases span Global South and South–North relationships, allowing for controlled comparison across varied structural configurations. Methodologically, the article employs a focused comparative approach combining process tracing and a structured typological framework, drawing on primary and secondary sources to triangulate evidence and elucidate variation across migration corridors. It identifies four factors that condition states’ strategic options: remittance dependency, labor market reliance, migration portfolio diversification, and institutionalization. The article advances migration studies by reconceptualizing labor mobility as a site of deliberate, strategic state engagement rather than a passive byproduct of domestic pressures. Simultaneously, it enriches international relations theory by offering a nuanced understanding of how power and migration interdependence intertwine to shape state behavior within asymmetric contexts. By identifying conditions that enable coercion, the article offers a critical policy tool for anticipating and mitigating exploitative practices in migration diplomacy.	en
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf	en
dc.identifier.citation	International migration review, 2025, OnlineFirst	en
dc.identifier.doi	10.1177/01979183251369832
dc.identifier.issn	0197-9183
dc.identifier.issn	1747-7379
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/1814/93904
dc.language.iso	en	en
dc.orcid.putcode	1814/93443:195667626
dc.publisher	Sage	en
dc.relation.ispartof	International migration review	en
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess	en
dc.rights.license	Attribution 4.0 International	en
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subject	Migration diplomacy	en
dc.subject	Labor migration	en
dc.subject	Asymmetric interdependence	en
dc.subject	International relations	en
dc.subject	Pacific Islands	en
dc.title	The strategic politics of cross-border mobility : a typology of migration interdependence	en
dc.type	Article	en
dspace.entity.type	Publication
person.identifier.orcid	0000-0002-2746-9752
person.identifier.other	57153
relation.isAuthorOfPublication	5a628587-12c9-4544-82d1-b7380f864272
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery	5a628587-12c9-4544-82d1-b7380f864272