Irregular Migrants as Citizens (Les Migrants Irréguliers Comme Citoyens)

At first considered necessary to meet postwar labour needs, irregular immigration is now often perceived as a national security threat. In this article, the author presents a critical analysis of this evolution. He underscores the importance of reexamining our conception of citizenship and residency to acknowledge that human dignity is distinct from administrative status. “States certainly have the power to decide who may enter and reside within their territory,” he writes, “but migrants nonetheless enjoy rights, and the respect, protection and promotion of these rights is the next hurdle in the fight for human rights.”