A powerful narrative presents the response to the global challenge of migration as the erection of borders. This paper explores its apparent converse: the easing of borders at regional level. There are now policies and laws facilitating free movement of people in at least thirty-three regional organizations involving 174 states, in addition to numerous bilateral agreements and domestic norms. Yet little work has been done to understand their scope. This Article defines a new field of study for international migration law, labelled as regional free movement of people law, and systematically presents its components.
Diego Acosta is Professor of European and Migration Law at the University of Bristol School of Law and part of the Migration Mobilities Bristol Specialized Rsearch Institute. Diego Acosta is also Visiting Fellow at the IWM in September and October of 2021.
Ranabir Samaddar, Distinguished Chair in Migration and Forced Migration Studies, Calcutta Research Group, Kolkata, India, moderated the Colloquium.
