Internal Migration: Challenges in Governance and Integration

Internal Migration: Challenges in Governance and Integration focuses on the challenges associated with internal migration across the developing world. While international migration captures significant attention, less attention has been paid to those migrating within recognized national borders. The sources of internal migration are not fundamentally different from international migration, as migrants may be pushed by violence, disasters, state policies, or various opportunities. Although they do not cross international borders, they may still cross significant internal borders, with cultural differences and perceived state favoritism generating a potential for "sons of the soil" conflicts. As citizens, internal migrants are in theory to be provided legal protection by host states, however this is not always the case, and sometimes their own states represent the cause of their displacement. The chapters in this book explain how international organizations, host states, and host communities may navigate the many challenges associated with internal migration.

Shane Joshua Barter is Associate Professor at Soka University of America, where he serves as Director of the Pacific Basin Research Center. He has written several books and numerous journal articles related to Southeast Asia, armed conflicts, democracy, separatism, and territorial autonomy.

William Ascher is the Donald C. McKenna Professor of Government and Economics at Claremont McKenna College. His research focuses on development policy, natural-resource and environmental policy, political psychology, and international organizations. His predominant geographic foci are Latin America and Southeast Asia.