This volume comprises national reports on migration and migration law from 17 countries representing all continents. The vast majority of these are countries of immigration, which means they face specific challenges in terms of managing migratory flows that are increasingly linked with climate change and scarce natural resources worldwide, and they need to find viable ways to integrate humanitarian migration. Unlike so many recent publications in the field of international migration law, this book brings together reports on diverse countries that are rarely regarded as part of one and the same picture, depicting globalized migration in the contemporary era that to a large extent challenges state sovereignty. The contributions delineate the legal regimes that individual states are continually developing and modifying with a view to managing and controlling access of individual persons to their respective territories. They also show how the restrictive measures that states resort to in the event of failure to manage migration could have a lasting legal impact. The General Report preceding the country reports provides a comparative overview of the national reports, and is divided into two parts. The first, more technical in nature, addresses the classic questions relating to admission to and residence in a country. The second, more reflective section, examines the relationship between laws and migration in a wider and multidisciplinary perspective. To allow a robust comparison, the country reports all follow a similarly wide-ranging structure; to the extent possible, they also cover the historical, sociological and demographic factors that help explain legal regimes and migratory flows in each country. Each country report includes analyses of recent legislative developments and delicate questions that are still awaiting adequate (legal) responses as well as perspectives for the future.

Dedicated to increasing our knowledge and awareness of the ever-growing diversity and pluralism of global society, Forum A. & A. Leysen has initiated a debate/lecture series, with a focus on Islam in today's world and in Europe in particular. Well-known influential authorities each an active participant in the public debate on the global role of Islam past, present, and future presented papers at the several Intercultural Relations meetings sponsored by Forum A. & A. Leysen. These important contributions are collected in Islam and Europe: Crises Are Challenges.

A common message emerges from the contributors and all their different points of view: only dialogue on the one hand between the West (countries that manifest themselves as Western Democratic constitutional states) and Islam, and on the other hand within and among societies historically identified with Islam will overcome entrenched confrontation and negative animosity. Such dialogue will engender new possibilities and understandings, and, by encouraging free and critical thinking, pave the way to social equity and the scientific innovation that may lead to more prosperity. In the course of the meetings all talks led to fascinating debates. This book includes the papers presented during the period January 2008 to January 2009. Although the question of how to actually construct the dialogue remains unsettled, this pioneering book takes a giant step toward an answer.

Contributors: Ahmed Aboutaleb; Durre S. Ahmed; A.S.A. Al-Saify; Mohamed Benzakour; Helge Daniels; Nadia Fadil; Silvio Ferrari; Marie-Claire Foblets; Fouad Laroui; Paul Lemmens; Rashida Manjoo; Ziba Mir-Hosseini; Bhikhu Parekh; Mathias Rohe; Cedric Ryngaert; Shaheen Sardar Ali; Prakash Shah; Paul Scheffer; Amina Wadud; Sami Zemni"