State, Migration and Crisis

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between the state, migration, and crisis by analyzing how migration has become a central political issue despite representing a relatively small share of the world’s population. It argues that migration is often perceived as a disruption to the national and international order because modern political systems are built around state sovereignty, territorial borders, citizenship, and the distinction between citizens and non-citizens. The paper explores how states control mobility through borders, legal status, documents, asylum systems, and migration policies, while also showing how migration challenges state authority through transnational practices, social networks, and global interdependence. Particular attention is given to the “crisification” of migration, whereby migration is framed as a crisis in political discourse and public policy. The paper also discusses migration diplomacy, showing how states use migration and asylum seekers as tools of negotiation, pressure, or geopolitical leverage. Finally, it highlights the limits of simplistic distinctions between voluntary and forced migration, emphasizing the need to understand migration as a complex political, social, and international phenomenon. The paper concludes that migration politics require a more nuanced approach that recognizes structural inequalities, state power, human mobility, and the long-term transformations of political orders.