“Biopower and Immigration”: A Biopolitical Perspective on Anti-Migration Policies

Abstract

While several competing theoretical frameworks contribute significantly to the epistemology and debate on anti-migration policies, there are still missing theories in this area. This paper uses Foucault’s concept of biopower to analyze anti-migration strategies. The paper argues that from the logic of biopolitics, anti-migration policies are deployed to protect the biological existence and well-being of populations (legal citizens). This analysis is particularly important considering the unceasing migration from low and middle-income countries to developed nations due to acute socio-economic, political and environmental conditions. The paper will serve as evidence to inform policy decision-making on immigration procedures.

Keywords: Immigrants, anti-migration, biopower, biopolitics, government, migration