ABSTRACT
The topic of migration raises many challenging ethical questions. Most migrants want little more than to make better lives for themselves. If people wish to migrate across borders, why shouldn’t they be able to? States exercise power over borders, but what, if anything, justifies this power? Is it morally permissible for states to prevent their citizens from exiting the country and to exclude prospective migrants from entering? If states are justified in excluding some and accepting others, how should they decide whom to admit? This chapter traces the evolution of the debate on the ethics of migration. It begins by discussing the “conventional view” that says states have the right to control migration, focusing on Michael Walzer’s theory. It then considers the case for “open borders” developed by Joseph Carens, along with more recent arguments for open borders. The third section examines the critique of open borders. The fourth section discusses recent arguments for immigration control based on liberal nationalism, Lockean property theory, and freedom of association. The final section considers what is owed to migrants who are already living in a state’s territory.
