This paper argue that a deeply embedded yet under-theorized relationship between the politics of migration and religion lies at the heart of contemporary migration debates. While processes of secularization emphasize the bounded nature of political communities, many of the more progressive religious outlooks which have come to (re)populate the public sphere advocate an ethos of justice and solidarity that transcends national boundaries. This contributes to a contestation over the ways in which responsibility is assigned, conceptualized, assumed and abjured in contemporary migration politics. Adopting a postsecular lens, the paper explores the dynamics of this contestation in relation to numerous contemporary examples, including responses to the Mediterranean migration crisis, UNHCR engagement with faith-based actors and pro-refugee protest movements in Australia.
