Migration governance in the European Union: a theme and its variations

This article outlines the key features of migration governance in the European Union (EU) and the diversity of forms of governance among its member states shaping migrants' rights and experiences, particularly, but not solely, in relation to the labour market. It explains how EU and member state policies work to jointly construct particular categories of migrant status and pathways for migrants' 'differential integration' across Europe. The article clarifies the diverse pathways through which EU states offer privileged access to entry, residence, employment and citizenship to some migrants over others and shows how the EU's migration governance limits and reproduces this diversity, with significant implications for the recognition and equality of the rights of different groups of migrants within one country, and comparatively across countries.