How countries use ‘migration diplomacy’ to pursue their own interests

theconversation.com; original article contains additional links and illustrations

Image from article, with caption: Honduran migrants at the border with Mexico in mid January. Many will continue north to the US border.

Excerpt:

“[M]igration diplomacy” ... [is] a form of statecraft surrounding the mobility of people across borders that our research shows is becoming increasingly significant in world politics. ...

Governments can use migration policy as a bargaining tool and as a way to pursue other goals, such as enhancing their security, achieving economic interests, or boosting their soft power via cultural or public diplomacy [JB emphasis]. ... 

As international migration continues to rise on the global political agenda, countries’ interests in either promoting or deterring the movement of people significantly affects the dynamics of their diplomatic relationships. Migration diplomacy is set to become an increasingly significant area of foreign policy and statecraft.