The article examines migration diplomacy as an independent output of states’ foreign policy activity in the context of the growing politisation of cross-border mobility and the securitisation of migration processes. The relevance of the study stems from the need for a theoretical understanding of the practices through which migration issues are used as an instrument of interstate interaction, as illustrated by the EU agreements with Turkey (2016) and Serbia (2022), as well as the instrumentalisation of migrants in Morocco (2021). The aim of the paper is to advance theoretical and methodological approaches in analysing migration diplomacy through the systemisation of existing concepts and their further interpretation through within the framework of international relations theory. The methodological foundations of the research comprise of comparative analysis method, conceptual modeling, and elements of discourse analysis. The source base encompasses contemporary publications on migration and international relations, as well as materials from bilateral and multilateral agreements. As a result, the paper provides a systematised evolution of the concept, from empirical observations to the notion of “migration power”. The limitations of classical approaches (realism, liberalism, and constructivism) in explaining the complex nature of migration diplomacy are indicated. It is argued that the analytical tools of the English School of international relations – namely the concept of “international society”, the debate between solidarists and pluralists, and the theory of primary institutions – provide the most comprehensive framework for revealing the dual nature of migration diplomacy, which combines elements of coercion and cooperation. The proposed approach outlines a promising direction for examining the role of migration in the context of the transformation of the international society.

The article examines migration diplomacy as an independent output of states’ foreign policy activity in the context of the growing politisation of cross-border mobility and the securitisation of migration processes. The relevance of the study stems from the need for a theoretical understanding of the practices through which migration issues are used as an instrument of interstate interaction, as illustrated by the EU agreements with Turkey (2016) and Serbia (2022), as well as the instrumentalisation of migrants in Morocco (2021). The aim of the paper is to advance theoretical and methodological approaches in analysing migration diplomacy through the systemisation of existing concepts and their further interpretation through within the framework of international relations theory. The methodological foundations of the research comprise of comparative analysis method, conceptual modeling, and elements of discourse analysis. The source base encompasses contemporary publications on migration and international relations, as well as materials from bilateral and multilateral agreements. As a result, the paper provides a systematised evolution of the concept, from empirical observations to the notion of “migration power”. The limitations of classical approaches (realism, liberalism, and constructivism) in explaining the complex nature of migration diplomacy are indicated. It is argued that the analytical tools of the English School of international relations – namely the concept of “international society”, the debate between solidarists and pluralists, and the theory of primary institutions – provide the most comprehensive framework for revealing the dual nature of migration diplomacy, which combines elements of coercion and cooperation. The proposed approach outlines a promising direction for examining the role of migration in the context of the transformation of the international society.