Of states, rights, and social closure

Increased levels of immigration sparked scholary and public debate about its consequences for immigrants, liberal democracies, sovereignty and rights in both Europe and North America. This book addresses questions such as: Do nation-states act to facilitate or limit immigration and integration, how and why? How do nation-states themselves transform in understanding and interpreting rights respond to immigration? Does the European Union make a difference in terms of how immigrants are perceived or how they act as stakeholders in liberal democracies? Through a collection of rich theoretical and empirical contributions diverse and intriguing responses are provided with case studies from Europe and North America.