Bertrand Badie

This article is the transcription of a paper delivered in 2010 by Bertrand Badie, a political scientist specializing in international relations, at a symposium held by the Institut catholique de Paris on the subject of global migration. Taking an analytical and demystifying approach, the author challenges alarmist representations of the migration phenomenon by pointing out that migrants account for only 3% of the world's population. He successively examines the failure of repressive policies and substitute mechanisms, the gradual awareness within United Nations bodies, and the milestones of global migration governance. The main contribution of the article is to demonstrate, supported by statistical data, that migration constitutes a global public good that benefits migrants, countries of origin, and host societies, thereby making the case for a rational and cooperative approach in place of the dominant sovereigntist logic.