TERRITORIAL SOVEREIGNTY AND RIGHTS OF MIGRANTS

  Agama Christian Sunday 

 Directorate of General Studies,

Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria.

Email: christianagama@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

This paper considers territorial sovereignty (and of course its border management) from a human rights perspective. It demonstrates how  a preoccupation with border zones have expanded, border crossing has become a more stigmatized and dangerous activity, and even as globalization has given rise to easier and faster international travel, for some, movement has been outlawed and stigmatized. Measures taken by some territories to strengthen and secure borders have paradoxically made migrants, more at risk of violence and exploitation by territorial actors. This paper argues that if capitals, information and ideas should flow across borders the same should be applied to the free movement of people. Secondly, there should be no gap between the rights of the migrants (foreigners) and the citizens of the territory. Finally, since this gap between the principle of territorial sovereignty, and the reality of individual lives, underscores the vulnerability of migrants in terms of dignity and human rights; this paper argues that a human right-based approached to such regimes is urgently needed, in order to address growing human rights crises among the migrants.

Keywords: Migration, sovereignty, human right, state, vulnerability.