The “migration industry” through the lens of the political economy of international migration in contemporary capitalism

Abstract

Contemporary international migration is characterised by new infrastructures, institutions, agents and companies, with large multinational corporations playing a particularly prominent role. In partnership with leading imperialist powers, these corporations fulfil a strategic role. This emerging configuration is often referred to as the “migration industry” and exists within a broader context characterised by new and severe forms of unequal exchange, with surplus being transferred from the Global South to the Global North. This essay begins with a critical examination of the concept of the “migration industry” and the surplus value transfers it generates, approached from a Marxist political economy perspective. To illustrate the modern business of international migration, this essay employs the case study of migration between Mexico and the United States, identifying the key actors and institutions involved and their significance in terms of surplus transfers.