Co-constructions of family and belonging in the politics of family migration

A chapter written by Saskia Bonjour and Laura Cleton, published in Handbook on the Governance and Politics of Migration (pp. 161-172), edited by E. Carmel, K. Lenner, & R. Paul and published by Edward Elgar. Also available in open access.

Abstract

Since the early 2000s, scholars in Europe have sought to understand the increasing problematisation and restriction of family migration. This chapter reviews the English-language scholarship on the politics of family migration across the globe, exploring varying conceptions of who and what counts as ‘family’ and who gets to have ‘family’. We show how families and their national belonging are co-constructed in family migration policies, along intersecting lines of gender, race, sexuality and class. First, the chapter explores ‘who gets to have family’, and how that right is stratified. Second, we survey ‘who counts as family’: which persons are considered ‘family members’. Third, we show what constitutes ‘good family’, by highlighting how families are expected to perform and function in order for their migration claims to be considered legitimate. Finally, we point to promising avenues for further research for this young and vibrant subfield of migration studies.