EU/US Migration Policy Towards Emerging Countries: Regulatory Power Reversed?

Abstract

As attractive destinations, both the EU and the US have long sought the cooperation of countries of origin of migrants to regulate cross-border flows. Large emerging economies like China and India are no exception. While hierarchical attempts at striking readmission agreements with these countries have been met with clear resistance, both the EU and the US have turned to ‘softer’ modes of coordination, eventually becoming themselves the targets of China’s and India’s demands for wider openings on migration and mobility. These demands have emerged in different venues: multilateral trade negotiations in the context of the WTO’s General Agreement on Trade in Services, bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations and migration dialogues. This article maps the countries’ respective agendas and analyses to what extent and through which channels China and India are gaining regulatory influence on international migration cooperation