Citizenship and Human Rights in the case of Migration

Although ours is often described as the ‘age of migration’ (Castles and Miller 1993), the phenomenon itself is by no means without precedent. Studies in population genetics have shown that our species is undoubtedly the result of successful selection through history. However, it is also originally – and above all – the product of a history of mass migrations that began around 200,000 years ago in a region of East Africa and subsequently spreading across the planet (Cavalli Sforza and Bodmer 1999). It is no simplification to say that today, as in the past, what drives humans to migrate has remained substantially unchanged over the millennia. The specific reasons may vary throughout history, but the main factor is the search for better living conditions and the necessity to satisfy material needs as individuals and as a community.