Moving away from state categorizations on irregular migration, this Research Handbook critically examines processes and dynamics that generate and reproduce irregularity, and discusses who may count as an irregular migrant.

As the law and politics of migration become increasingly intertwined, this thought-provoking Research Handbook addresses the challenge of analysing their growing relationship. Discussing the evolving theoretical approaches to migration, it explores the growing attention given to the legal frameworks for migration and the expansion of regulation, as migration moves to the centre of the political global agenda. The Research Handbook demonstrates that the overlap between law and politics puts the rule of law at risk in matters of migration.

Drawing together the latest research on migration, gender and COVID-19, this erudite Research Handbook contributes to a better understanding of the immediate and longer-term implications of the pandemic on gender dynamics and roles in international migration. Providing a wealth of expert critical analysis, it considers post-COVID-19 realities and assesses the future scope of research in this interdisciplinary field of study.

Adeptly navigating one of the most pressing issues on the current global agenda, this topical Research Handbook provides a comprehensive and research-based exploration of the sociology of migration. As well as highlighting the field’s achievements and current challenges, it explores key concepts used in current research, methods employed, and the spheres and contexts in which migrants participate.

This open access book provides an alternative theoretical framework of irregular migration that allows to overcome many of the contradictions and theoretical impasses displayed by the majority of approaches in current literature. The analytical framework allows moving from an interpretation biased by methodological nationalism, to a more general systemic interpretation. It explains irregular migration as a structural phenomenon or contemporary society, and why state policies are greatly ineffective in their attempt to control irregular migration. It also explains irregular migration as a diversified phenomenon that relates to the social characteristics of the context, and why states accept irregular migrants. By providing new comparative, empirical, qualitative material which allows to start filling an evident gap in the current research on irregular migration, this book is of interest to graduate students, scholars and policy makers.

Migration is a complex and multifaceted issue, and the current legal framework suffers from considerable ambiguity and lack of cohesive focus. This Handbook offers a comprehensive take on the intersection of law and migration studies and provides strat

The Routledge Handbook of Immigration and Refugee Studies offers a comprehensive study of the multi-disciplinary field of international migration and asylum studies. The new edition incorporates numerous new chapters on issues including return migration, the relationship between urbanisation and migration, the role of advanced digital technologies in migration governance, decision making and human agency, and the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on global migration. Utilising contemporary information and analysis, this innovative Handbook provides an in-depth examination of the major analytical questions pertaining to migration and asylum, whilst discussing key areas such as work, welfare, families, citizenship, the relationship between migration and development, asylum and irregular migration. With a comprehensive collection of essays written by leading contributors from different world regions and covering a broad range of disciplines including sociology, geography, legal studies, political science, and economics, the Handbook is a truly multidisciplinary reader. Organised into thematic and geographical chapters, the Routledge Handbook of Immigration and Refugee Studies provides a concise overview on the different topics and world regions, as well as useful guidance for both the starting and the more experienced reader. The Handbook’s expansive content and illustrative style will appeal to both students and professionals studying in the field of migration and international organisations.