What Is Immigration Policy For?

Author: Sumption, Madeleine (University of Oxford)

Cultural studies

Published on 31 March 2026 by Bristol University Press in the United Kingdom as part of 'the What Is It For?' series.

Paperback / softback | 220 pages, 1 Tables, black and white; 9 Illustrations, black and white
203 x 127

A deeply researched look at the debate around immigration policy, and possible paths forward.

Does political rhetoric on immigration policy match what is actually happening on the ground? Why do well-intentioned plans fail? Could immigration policy be done better? This book explores what immigration policy seeks to achieve and why so many people end up unhappy with the outcome. Drawing on decades of research and examples from high-income countries around the world, it exposes the unavoidable trade-offs governments face, and the impacts of their choices on people and communities. It reveals how we got here, why the policy challenge is so difficult, and how we get to a better place.