Diasporic geopolitics and differentiated policies of transnational repression

This article examines transnational repression as an aspect of diasporic geopolitics, i.e. the state use of populations abroad to strategically exercise power and influence vis-à-vis other states. Building on existing literature, we examine how states have crafted differentiated diaspora engagement strategies in which some segments of the diaspora are elevated, some are ignored, and others are repressed. The mechanisms by which they do so can range from direct (e.g. government targeting, harassment, surveillance and coercion); to indirect (e.g. exploiting tensions within the diaspora, spreading propaganda, fostering mistrust, or inciting violence between groups); to mediated (e.g. engaging third parties via interstate cooperation, intelligence sharing and policing). By unpacking different mechanisms and actors involved with transnational repression, we show the extent to which states rely on the mobilization of social forces and international-systemic structures in their use of targeted coercion against populations in the context of pursuing geopolitical influence.