Migration power centers in world politics

In the emerging polycentric and multi-level architecture of the world order, in addition to the supporting system of centers of power in their classical understanding, new power subsystems are being built, in particular, migration. Centers of migration power can be defined as international actors, primarily major participants in migration processes, who are capable of achieving foreign policy goals with the help of migration tools and, under specific conditions, realize this potential. The difference in migration positions – recipient, donor, transit population or combinations of these statuses – presupposes a variety of centers of power in the migration field depending on the role they play (immigration, emigration or transit). The migration status of a country is reflected in a wide range and variability of the use of persuasion tools: from the weaponization of human flows and sanctions against migration to cooperation in the field of migration and the promotion of an attractive image of the country with the help of liberal and inclusive migration policy measures. In addition to leading powers, migration force centers may also include states that acquire leadership in the subregional migration space of foreign policy in the appropriate context and time interval, which determines the mobility and variability of the configuration of migration force centers. The current development of migration and the strengthening of its connection with foreign policy processes indicate an expansion of the use of migration force and an increase in the role of migration force centers in international relations.