| Summary: | <p>This summary report is part of a study on spouse and partner immigration through the regulation of family reunification in Canada, the US, the UK, France and the Netherlands. The study covers the decade from 1995 to 2015, a period of more intense political and media scrutiny of immigration and more stringent immigration restrictions.</p>
<p>The project examines the following key issues:</p>
<ul>
<li>What underlies current concerns about spousal immigration through family reunification, and what effect do these concerns have on immigration policies?</li>
<li>How can the apparent incompatibility between the rationale behind bureaucratic regulations be reconciled with the assessment of emotions (such as love) by government officers?</li>
</ul>
<p>More specifically, this project is intended to provide a comparative empirical analysis and theoretical explanations of the subject. As the first transatlantic study of regulations governing immigration marriage, this investigation aims to:</p>
<ul>
<li>Summarize and analyze the legislation, policies and institutions developed by five nations to regulate spousal immigration through the family reunification process;</li>
<li>Document and explain how Canada, the US, the UK, France, and the Netherlands view immigration marriage as a security issue requiring action;</li>
<li>Analyze and compare the impact of institutional regulations and modifications respecting immigrant mobility, admission and access to citizenship. The effect of laws and policies in the above five countries on same-sex and queer couples is also examined;</li>
<li>Explain how the fact that marriage has become a political and a security issue derails or reinforces the theorization of rights and citizenship in Western liberal democracies.</li>
</ul>
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