Act of magic: the issue of naturalization in the work of Abdelmalek Sayad

Abstract

From a legal standpoint, naturalization is a secondary means of obtaining nationality in a state, resulting from the expression of will. Is it possible to regard the issue of naturalization solely as a legal matter and as an expression of individual will? This article seeks to address this question by engaging with the contributions of Abdelmalek Sayad, developing two arguments: (1) according to Sayad, naturalization should not be seen as a mere administrative operation that transforms, for example, an Algerian into a French citizen through a publication in the official gazette. Sayad believes that naturalization involves much more than just its legal dimension; (2) the issue of naturalization in Sayad’s perspective should be understood within his critique of the post-colonial world, predominantly organized into nation-states. It is a world where international migrants are among those who experience and reveal the paradoxes, contradictions, inconsistencies of the contemporary world.