This book investigates how the movement of people across borders is increasingly framed as a threat to national security, thereby justifying restrictive state policies. Philippe Bourbeau, a scholar specializing in migration and international relations, utilizes a constructivist framework to analyze the evolution of migration policies in Western states. By examining the discourse and practices of political actors, he argues that the securitization of migration is not an inevitable response to demographic shifts but a deliberate political process that reshapes the relationship between the state and the individual.

Experts in international relations frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the intersection of migration and security policy. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous analytical structure for students and researchers in the field.