Reasons and Dynamics of Irregular Immigration

Abstract

The first chapter dealt with various issues of definition and classification of immigration termed ‘irregular’. Mentioned in particular is the need to perceive migrants as social actors endowed with autonomy and initiative, even when they are subject to severe external conditions, both political and economic. As noted, the constant reproduction of irregular migration depends on several factors: conflicting economic needs, the contradictions and limits of policies, the agency of migrants, and their networks. This chapter explores these issues further, seeking to answer two questions: (a) Why does irregular immigration persist and prove so difficult to eradicate? (b) Why are regularization measures, in one form or another, recurrent in many countries and difficult to avoid?