How do post-colonial ties and migration regimes shape travel visa requirements? The case of Caribbean nationals

Abstract

Travel visa requirements are generally recognised as the result of a trade-off between preventing irregular migration, ensuring security and allowing potential economic benefits to countries. The role of history has been overlooked. This article focuses on the Caribbean, a region heavily influenced by colonialism, which experienced important changes in political status and migration policies over the twentieth century. Using bilateral travel visa requirement data, we examine the importance of two travel visa determinants: post-colonial ties and the migration regimes established by the former colonial state after independence. We show that post-colonial ties explain patterns of travel visa requirements for France, the Netherlands and the US, but less for Britain and British-sphere Caribbean countries, revealing the less uniform and changing role of post-colonial ties. Travel visa requirements largely reinforce migration regimes types, so that Caribbean citizens from countries with a closed migration regime also experienced reduced travel opportunities. This reveals a perception that when the former colonial state limits migration opportunities, it might lead to travel, and potential overstaying, in other destinations. These findings provide new evidence of the relevance of colonial history and migration policies with the former colonial state in shaping travel opportunities of citizens of former colonies. ARTICLE HISTORY

International Migration: Trends, Determinants, and Policy Effects

“…They have had a particularly large impact in the initiation of migration, whether through warfare, military occupation, colonialism, forced transfer in the form of the slave trade, recruitment, political repression, or a combination thereof (Castles et al 2014;Hoerder 2002;Massey et al 1998;Penninx 1982;Skeldon 1997;Vezzoli 2014b). The fact that global migration is highly concentrated in a relatively low number of migration corridors (around 20 percent of world migration is within 15 bilateral corridors), partly reflects such colonial and other historical ties between states (Czaika and de Haas 2014;Flahaux and de Haas 2016;Vezzoli and Flahaux 2017;Natter 2014;Vezzoli 2015). 7 The emergence of "migration policies" is a direct consequence of modern nation-state formation and their intrinsic need to control people's "legitimate means of movement" (Torpey 1998).…”

“…; Penninx ; Skeldon ; Vezzoli ). The fact that global migration is highly concentrated in a relatively low number of migration corridors (around 20 percent of world migration is within 15 bilateral corridors), partly reflects such colonial and other historical ties between states (Czaika and de Haas ; Flahaux and de Haas ; Vezzoli and Flahaux ; Natter ; Vezzoli )…”

The postcolonial migration state

“…In the Arab world, the exploitative Kafala ('sponsorship') system evolved out of British colonial practices (Al-Shehabi, 2019;Lori, 2019). Vezzoli and Flahaux (2017) focus on the relationship between travel visa requirements and 'post-colonial ties' to show how colonial relations continue to shape (and limit) travel opportunities. Broadly, the linkages between metropole and colony appear to persist across numerous post-independence migration management contexts (Betts, 1998).…”

Determinantes para la migración internacional de colombianos entre 1990-2015 a partir de un modelo gravitacional

“…Finalmente, los nexos coloniales entre los lugares de origen y destino han sido identificados en el ámbito investigativo como variable que puede contribuir a explicar la orientación de los flujos migratorios, en la medida en que las relaciones de colonialidad se traducen en la existencia de una historia común; la presencia de una afinidad cultural, lingüística e institucional, y el establecimiento de importantes corredores de migración, aspectos que estimulan significativamente la movilidad. Algunos estudios han expuesto que la existencia de vínculos coloniales entre países ha influido en la decisión de forjar acuerdos para flexibilizar los requerimientos de visado lo cual constituye un aliciente para trasladarse (Neumayer, 2005;Vezzoli & Flahaux, 2017).…”