Migration, sons of the soil conflict, and international relations

Abstract

For most of the 20th century, the discipline of international relations largely ignored migration. Although recent work has made important contributions, a number of gaps remain, as the emerging literature tends to examine national security, international migration, forced migration, and developed countries, without exploring internal conflict, internal migration, voluntary migration, and developing countries. This article examines the enduring gaps in the literature on migration in international relations. It uses the concept of “sons of the soil” conflicts and the illustrative example of Côte d’Ivoire to highlight these overlooked dimensions. This serves to underscore the need for a new research agenda on migration in international relations.