2018 年 2018 巻 190 号 p. 190_33-190_48
As the migration problem has become one of the global issue, the multilayered migration governance emerged rapidly. Although ‘inter-regionalism’ is a one of the new phenomenon in the migration governance, states have been in disagreement with the migration management. Because the receiving states prefer to regulate migrants’ inflow to their territories, bilateralism and regionalism are suitable for their preference. Moreover, it is well-known that there have been power asymmetry between the receiving states and the sending states which have impeded the creation of the migration regime.
This article analyzes the mechanism of corporation between migrants receiving states region and sending states region within the Regional Consultative Processes: RCPs, which is characterized as informal cooperation framework by using a case study on ‘the Rabat Process’, political cooperation amongst the countries along the migration route between Central, Western, Northern Africa and Europe since 2006.
First of all, Chapter 1 consults debates on inter-regionalism, in order to determine RCPs as inter-regional approach with informal dialogue. Chapter 2 examines the history of inter-continental migratory flow from Africa to Europe and the reflective development of migration governance. Key finding here is that the negotiation for bilateralism, regionalism and inter-regionalism have processed simultaneously, nevertheless they are not competitive. Chapter 3 would give two suggestion to this paper. One is that the sending states are no longer rule takers, instead they seek leverage from the receiving states. The other is both the sending states and the receiving states use norm for different purposes in accordance to the goal. Based on these, I assumed that inter-regionalism offers specific functions to overcome power politics among sending and receiving states not only with its informality. In chapter 4, the Rabat Process is examined minutely by using the revised theory about 5 functions of inter-regionalism; balancing, institution building, rationalization, agenda setting and collective identity formation. And finally, chapter 5 resulted that the emergence of inter-regionalism in migration governance derived from the change of power distribution among states. In such a context, the effectiveness of the Rabat Process was caused by its implementation mechanism, for example the support projects. In addition, it mentioned that inter-regionalism is neither exclusive nor faultless approach, rather it would develop the migration governance through mutual interaction with bilateralism and regionalism.