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Political regimes and immigration policymaking

The contrasting cases of Morocco and Tunisia

Natter, K.

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2019

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Natter, K. (2019). Political regimes and immigration policymaking: The contrasting cases of

Morocco and Tunisia.

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Katharina Natter

POLITICAL REGIMES AND

IMMIGRATION POLICYMAKING

POLITICAL REGIMES AND

IMMIGRATION POLICYMAKING

THE CONTRASTING CASES OF MOROCCO AND TUNISIA

Katharina Natter

© 2019 / Katharina Natter

ISBN 978-94-028-1681-5

Cover photo: © istockphoto.com/JannHuizenga

Design: Waarlé Grafische Vormgeving, Amsterdam, t.waarle@planet.nl

Print: Ipskamp Printing, Enschede

DISCLAIMERS

(1) This thesis was part of the Migration as Development (MADE) project hosted at the University of

Amsterdam between 2015 and 2020 and funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under

the European Community’s Horizon 2020 Programme (H2020/2015-2020) ERC Grant Agreement

648496.

(2) This thesis partly builds upon my already published work on migration and migration politics

in Morocco and Tunisia (Berriane, de Haas and Natter 2015; Natter 2014a; Natter 2014b; Natter

2015a; Natter 2015b). In addition, parts of the argument on theorizing migration policy and some

of the novel material collected during my PhD have already been published (Natter 2018a; Natter

2018b). The specific sections of the thesis that draw upon already published material are evidenced

individually.

(3) French, German or Arabic quotes from primary or secondary sources have been translated into

English by myself. All errors are mine.

POLITICAL REGIMES AND

IMMIGRATION POLICYMAKING

THE CONTRASTING CASES OF MOROCCO AND TUNISIA

ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT

ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor

aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam

op gezag van de Rector Magnificus

prof. dr. ir. K.I.J. Maex

ten overstaan van een door het College

voor Promoties ingestelde commissie,

in het openbaar te verdedigen in de Agnietenkapel

op vrijdag 8 november 2019, te 14.00 uur

door Katharina Natter

geboren te Wenen

PROMOTIECOMMISSIE

Promotor:

prof. dr. H.G. de Haas

Universiteit van Amsterdam

Copromotores:

dr. H. Thiollet

Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris - Sciences Po

prof. dr. R. Bauböck

European University Institute

Overige leden:

prof. dr. M. Collyer

University of Sussex

prof. dr. W.G.J. Duyvendak

Universiteit van Amsterdam

prof. dr. B.M. Burgoon

Universiteit van Amsterdam

dr. S.A. Bonjour

Universiteit van Amsterdam

dr. D.V. Vigneswaran

Universiteit van Amsterdam

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of figures and tables

. . . .

VIII

List of figures and tables in Annex

. . . .

IX

Acronyms

. . . .

X

Acknowledgements

. . . .

XIII

PART I

SETTING THE SCENE: THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL PILLARS

. . . .

1

Chapter 1 – Introduction

. . . .

3

Abstract

. . . .

3

1 What’s at stake?

. . . .

4

2 Why research Moroccan and Tunisian immigration policies?

. . . .

6

3 What is the argument?

. . . .

10

4 What to expect: The thesis outline

. . . .

14

Chapter 2 – Theories on the move

. . . .

19

Abstract

. . . .

19

1 Theory-building and the global political economy of knowledge production

. . .

20

2 Exploring the polity-politics-policy nexus on immigration

. . . .

22

3 Towards more general immigration policy theories

. . . .

33

4 Conclusion: Leaving binary world (di)visions behind

. . . .

41

Chapter 3 – The tools of the trade

. . . .

43

Abstract

. . . .

43

1 Research methodology

. . . .

44

2 Fieldwork, data collection, and analysis methods

. . . .

47

3 Fieldwork reflections

. . . .

55

4 Conclusion

. . . .

60

PART II

REGIME CONTINUITY AND IMMIGRATION POLICY CHANGE IN MOROCCO:

THE ‘ILLIBERAL PARADOX’ OF AUTOCRATIC POLICYMAKING

. . . .

61

Chapter 4 – A century of Moroccan state formation and migration

. . . .

63

Abstract

. . . .

63

1 State formation and national identity trajectories

. . . .

64

2 Migration patterns and policies

. . . .

75

Chapter 5 – The drivers of Moroccan immigration policy

. . . .

91

Abstract

. . . .

91

1 Policy priorities at home and abroad: The drivers of selectivity and restriction

. .

92

2 Transnational and local dynamics: The drivers of limited openings

. . . .

97

3 Crafting a ‘liberal’ monarchy: The drivers of the 2013 liberalization

. . .

104

4 The power and weakness of ‘royal cards’: The drivers of inconsistent

implementation

. . . .

111

5 Conclusion: Shifting configurations of immigration policy drivers

. . .

117

Chapter 6 – The politics of Moroccan immigration policymaking

. . .

119

Abstract

. . .

119

1 A changing cartography of actors

. . .

120

2 The Moroccan state

. . . .

124

3 Civil society dynamics

. . . .

135

4 Other actors

. . . .

146

5 Conclusion: How autocratic consolidation shapes immigration politics

. . . .

152

PART III

REGIME CHANGE AND IMMIGRATION POLICY CONTINUITY IN TUNISIA:

THE AMBIGUOUS EFFECTS OF DEMOCRATIZATION

. . .

155

Chapter 7 – A century of Tunisian state formation and migration

. . .

157

Abstract

. . .

157

1 State formation and national identity trajectories

. . . .

158

2 Migration patterns and policies

. . . .

169

3 Conclusion: Recapping the empirical puzzle

. . .

184

Chapter 8 – Drivers of Tunisian immigration policy

. . . .

185

Abstract

. . . .

185

1 Autocracy: The drivers of selection and non-politicization

. . . .

186

2 Revolution: A window of opportunity for change

. . . .

189

3 Democratization: The drivers of immigration policy continuity

. . . .

192

4 Pressures from within, below and outside: The drivers of heterogeneous

developments

. . .

199

5 Conclusion: Shifting configurations of immigration policy drivers

. . .

205

Chapter 9 – The politics of Tunisian immigration policymaking

. . . .

207

Abstract

. . .

207

1 A changing cartography of actors

. . .

208

3 Civil society dynamics

. . .

221

4 Other actors

. . .

233

5 Conclusion: How democratization shapes immigration politics

. . . .

239

PART IV:

IMMIGRATION POLICYMAKING ACROSS POLITICAL REGIMES:

COMPARATIVE AND THEORETICAL INSIGHTS

. . . .

243

Chapter 10 – Comparing Moroccan and Tunisian immigration policymaking

. . .

245

Abstract

. . .

245

1 Regime legitimation and stability: A central driver of immigration politics

. . .

246

2 The ‘regime effect’ in immigration policymaking

. . .

250

3 Thinking the state: The legacy of state formation

. . .

262

4 Conclusion: Taking political regime dynamics and state transformations

seriously

. . .

266

Chapter 11 – Rethinking immigration policymaking theories

. . .

271

Abstract

. . .

271

1 Generic policy processes

. . .

272

2 Issue-specific immigration policy processes

. . .

275

3 Regime-specific immigration policy processes

. . .

280

4 Conclusion: Towards more general immigration policy theory

. . .

287

Chapter 12 – Conclusion

. . .

289

Abstract

. . .

289

1 Summing up: How does the polity shape the politics of immigration policy?

. . .

290

2 Where to go next: Avenues for future research

. . .

297

Annexes

. . . .

301

Annex 1: Overview of interviews

. . .

302

Annex 2: Macro indicators on Morocco and Tunisia

. . .

306

Annex 3: Immigration and political change in Morocco and Tunisia,

1900-2018

. . .

313

Bibliography

. . .

331

Thesis summary

. . .

362