Social research on migration has traditionally focused on the factors that determine the decision to emigrate. Much less frequently has the analysis been reversed to focus on the decision not to leave and the reasons for staying put. Jacob Richard Thomas’s research takes this alternative perspective, yielding findings of considerable empirical and theoretical interest. In his recently published book, Denial, Deterrence, and Disenchantment: Why Many Do Not Immigrate (Cambridge University Press, 2026), Thomas explores these issues through an extensive study of mainland China, a context of enormous relevance that nevertheless remains relatively little known. By extending the traditional push-pullmodel, the book also shows how socio-economic resources and social ties can paradoxically both facilitate and hinder mobility, highlighting the inequalities that shape migration opportunities.

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