ABSTRACT
In this paper, I begin a preliminary exploration of the ways in which neo-Roman republicanism, organized as it is around the twin notions of free person and free state, might contribute to the ongoing conversation about the ethics of migration. I extrapolate and sketch distinctively republican responses to the following migration-related issues: refugees, resident non-citizens, international freedom of movement and state rights to exclude would-be immigrants. I indicate areas where I think republicans are on the strongest ground, areas where republicanism’s contribution is limited and areas where republicans face important dilemmas. I examine how these dilemmas might be addressed from within republican theory. The aim is to reflect upon the ethics of migration through the lens of the neo-Roman conception of political liberty, to see what we learn both about enduring questions in the ethics of migration and about the appeal of contemporary republicanism as a political theory.
