soft power and cross-border mobility in the Middle East Tsourapas, Gerasimos creator text xx 2018 monographic und

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p.400-416. Can labor emigration form part of a state�s foreign policy goals? The relevant literature links emigration to states� developmental needs, which does not explain why some states choose to economically subsidize their citizens� emigration. This article explores for the first time the soft power importance of high-skilled emigration from authoritarian emigration states. It finds that the Egyptian state under Gamal Abdel Nasser employed labor emigration for two distinct purposes linked to broader soft power interests: first, as an instrument of cultural diplomacy to spread revolutionary ideals of Arab unity and anti-imperialism across the Middle East; second, as a tool for disseminating development aid, particularly in Yemen and sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on Arabic and non-Arabic primary sources, the article identifies the interplay between foreign policy and cross-border mobility, while also sketching an evolving research agenda on authoritarian emigration states� policy-making. - Reproduced. Jun Migration International Political Science Review 181130