The Racialization of Security: Ethnic Minorities in Europe, International Relations and Comparative Politics

In the academic literature, race is rarely considered an important factor in the study of international relations (IR). The fields of IR as well as comparative politics (CP) have also been reluctant to view immigration as in important factor in understanding relations between nations and domestic politics, despite large flows of people moving from the developing world to the developed world. Immigration is often overlooked as a major component of both economic and national security. Much is made of capital flows, trade agreements, treaties and military action in the broader scheme of international relations, however, the flow of people, particularly people from a variety of ethnic and national backgrounds, has always played a key role in international relations. Immigration and race touch on issues not only of racism and ethnic conflict, but also of labor movements, relations with developing countries, demographics, economic growth, and a variety of factors that impact international relations and domestic politics. In this article, I discuss why the issues of race and immigration need to play a more central role in the analysis of politics, particularly in Europe