IAS 150

International migration has been growing rapidly in recent decades. While the rise of neoliberalism has made borders more permeable for goods and capital, borders have not become more permeable for people and in some cases have become less permeable. There are various factors that drive migration, including refugees fleeing violence and/or the impacts of climate change, economic migrants escaping poverty and lack of economic opportunity, and involuntary human trafficking. Immigration has transformed receiving countries into multicultural societies, which has strained traditional notions of national identity, and is increasingly producing a nativist backlash. In this course, we will explore global migration patterns, what drives migration, immigration policies, the rise of nativism and xenophobia, and the impacts of migration on sending and receiving countries.