The Ties That Bind
Immigration and the Global Political Economy

Immigration integral to globalization, creating connections and mobilizing investments in human and financial capital across countries.

David Leblang (Author), Benjamin Helms (Author)

9781009233224, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 9 February 2023

278 pages
23.5 x 15.7 x 2 cm, 0.53 kg

'Can international migration be the glue that binds the global political economy together, benefiting both migrant-sending and -receiving countries? Yes. But it depends. In The Ties That Bind, Leblang and Helms masterfully demonstrate with a wealth of data how politics and institutions, such as migrant rights and dual citizenship, determine migration intentions, where people migrate to, and how migrants remain connected to their homelands. A must-read for scholars and global policy-makers.' Maarten Vink, Chair in Citizenship Studies, European University Institute

Migration is among the central domestic and global political issues of today. Yet the causes and consequences - and the relationship between migration and global markets – are poorly understood. Migration is both costly and risky, so why do people decide to migrate? What are the political, social, economic, and environmental factors that cause people to leave their homes and seek a better life elsewhere? Leblang and Helms argue that political factors - the ability to participate in the political life of a destination - are as important as economic and social factors. Most migrants don't cut ties with their homeland but continue to be engaged, both economically and politically. Migrants continue to serve as a conduit for information, helping drive investment to their homelands. The authors combine theory with a wealth of micro and macro evidence to demonstrate that migration isn't static, after all, but continuously fluid.

1. Introduction: immigration and globalization
2. Origins: why do people migrate?
3. Destinations: where do migrants go?
4. Diaspora bonds: global migration and international investment
5. Origin statecraft: remittances and diaspora engagement
6. Destination statecraft: labor market policy and the regulation of migration
7. Conclusion: migration and the future of globalization.

Subject Areas: Political economy [KCP], Monetary economics [KCBM], Comparative politics [JPB], Migration, immigration & emigration [JFFN]