The limits of exclusion from within immigration and the ethics of inclusive non-state actors
(2026)
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FINAL - SALAZAR ABELLO Andres - The Limits of Exclusion From Within - Full Dissertation.pdf
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- (en) Traditional debates in the political philosophy of migration are often deadlocked between open and closed borders, with a particular focus on the state as the single most important actor in migration justice. This dissertation contributes to ongoing theoretical efforts to challenge the dominant paradigm by shifting the normative focus toward the moral obligations of intermediary agents: citizens, diasporas, and civil society organisations (CSOs). By examining how these actors operate within the non-ideal conditions of restrictive border regimes, this doctoral dissertation constructs an agent-centred ethics of migration. In doing so, it refines our understanding of hospitality, not as a passive state prerogative, but as an active moral duty forged from below by intermediary actors. The first half critically scrutinises standard associative justifications for the state’s right to exclude. It challenges the liberal nationalist reliance on compatriot partiality, which fails to meet fundamental theoretical criteria for morally justified partiality. Furthermore, through an internal critique of nationalist premises, the thesis argues that if shared identity is necessary for human flourishing, obligations that originate from it cannot be strictly confined to territorial borders, thereby generating symmetrical, cross-border duties of partiality and inclusion for transnational networks such as diaspora groups. Building on this foundation, the second half examines the concrete moral duties of agents directly confronting exclusionary border enforcement. Sidestepping traditional open-borders arguments, it evaluates unlawful migrant solidarity through the lens of political obligation, concluding that because contemporary migration laws often fail to establish moral authority, citizens possess overriding duties of non-complicity and Samaritan rescue that justify principled disobedience. Finally, the dissertation addresses the Humanitarian-Legitimation Dilemma faced by migrant-support CSOs, arguing that strictly neutral service provision risks providing a moral alibi for state abdication. To avoid complicity, CSOs hold a scalar moral duty, conditioned by their operational capacity and the immediate safety of beneficiaries, to engage in political advocacy and combat epistemic injustice. Ultimately, this dissertation demonstrates that the moral landscape of migration is far more porous than traditional theories suggest, confirming that in conditions of structural injustice, justice is forged from below by intermediary agents striving to dismantle exclusionary structures.
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Salazar Abello, A. (2026). The limits of exclusion from within immigration and the ethics of inclusive non-state actors. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/276970