The illiberal paradox and the politics of migration in the Middle East

How does the "migration state" concept travel across the global South and, in particular, in the Middle East and North Africa region? Gerasimos Tsourapas has two aims: first, he introduces the reader to the history and politics of migration into, out of, and across the contemporary Middle East. The chapter's second part demonstrates how a closer examination of Middle East migratory processes and distinct migration corridors sheds light on existing debates within the field. It identifies the emergence of an illiberal paradox across Middle Eastern states' migration policy-making—namely, the contrast between the socioeconomic need to allow mass emigration and the urge to maintain control over political dissent. Tsourapas draws on a range of case studies from across North Africa and the Middle East in order to detail how governments' attempts to resolve this illiberal paradox have arguably shaped the politics of migration in the Middle East