'Globalization', the geopolitical economy of migration and the 'spatial vent'

Despite a rapidly expanding literature in the last decade, the question of migration remains a neglected area of research in IPE, global political eco nomy and political geography. In addressing this deficiency, this article s eeks to contribute to the growing debate over the links between 'globalizat ion', IPE and the geopolitical economy of migration. Rather than the more ' traditional' focus of LPE, I attempt to integrate different political-econo mic scales of analysis (from the regional to the international). Drawing up on an analysis of North African (Maghrebin) migrant workers in the Paris au tomobile industry, I argue that, first, globalization needs to be placed in historical context in terms of the international/global political economy of migration. Second, I maintain the need to understand migration as a stra tegic issue within international political economy. Third, I argue that the national state is still relevant as a geopolitical economic 'lens' on the contemporary globalization of migration. And fourth, I suggest the presence of what I call a 'spatial vent'. This describes the forced and/or encourag ed repatriation of migrant workers to partially diffuse threats to accumula tion and legitimation generated by reconciling economic imperatives (indust rial and labour market restructuring) with the political, social and cultur al priorities of the French state (French 'republicanism' and 'universalism '). The 'spatial vent' is considered to be one means of grasping the territ oriality of capitalism.