Immigration and the state: the devolution and privatisation of immigration control in the EU

The role of the state in immigration control is changing in Europe. Other parties, namely local, private and international bodies, have an increasing part in state regulation. European national governments are seeking to share the burden of an increased commitment to immigration control with these other parties through a process of devolution and privatization. The motivation behind these moves is cost-sharing rather than a desire to abdicate sovereignty and new forms of regulatory control are emerging, but the change could lead to a diversity of local situations.
Abstract This article examines the theoretical framework of the debate over sovereignty in the European Union and the state's powers of immigration control, adopting a neo-corporatist approach to assess the [...]