Living in a "world on the move," Mark Leonard sees the benefits of migration and calls "countries, regions, and organizations that are benefiting from migration - China, India, Kurdistan, Israel, ISIS, Turkey, and Niger - the M-7." According to his estimates, "more than 240 million people" are said to be "rootless". If they would unite and form their own "republic," it would be the world's "fifth largest."

The author identifies three categories of "migration superpowers" - "new colonialists, integrators, and go-betweens." Like earlier European settlers in America, the "new colonialists" are "benefiting not just themselves," but also "helping their countries of origin obtain access to markets, technology, and a political voice in the world."

According to Howard W. French, Africa has become “China’s second continent,” with more than "a million" Chinese settling down in the Sub-Saharan Africa. More Chinese citizens are said to be "living outside mainland China than there are French people living in France," and a similar trend is being observed "on almost every continent." The author says China benefits from migrants who return with "capabilities" that are "expertly harvested." Some, dubbed as “sea turtles,” dominate the "technology industry." This may have been the case before Xi Jinping came to power. It is unclear whether many still have the desire to return, given the political climate and environmental challenges they face at home. They enjoy more freedoms and rights, and often a better quality of life abroad.

The same can be said about Indian migrants, of whom "an estimated 20 million" are said to be "super-successful and hyper-connected." In Silicon Valley "one in ten companies" are being set up by "Indian-born entrepreneurs." Microsoft’s CEO, the inventor of the Intel Pentium processor, the former chief technology officer at Motorola, and the CEO of Google are of Indian origin. Indeed, these are urban and educated individuals. Would they return, when 13 out of 20 most polluted cities in the world are in India, where sanitation and supply of drinking water leave much to be desired? Indian ex-pats make huge contribution in form of remittances - "more than $70 billion" - yearly, which amount to "nearly 4%" of GDP - more than India "spends on education."

An "estimated 35 million Kurds" inhabit a mountainous region straddling the borders of Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Armenia. They make up the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East, but have never obtained permanent statehood. Their struggle for autonomy in Turkey and fighting in Iraq and Syria against ISIS are viewed with suspicion and hostility by regional leaders. They "are becoming one of the most politically active migrant populations in Europe," because many had fled the region. Perhaps it explains why Sweden and Germany - with large Kurdish populations - "are providing militarily support to the Kurdish Peshmerga in their fight against the Islamic State (ISIS)."

The author highlights America's success in turning "people from around the world into American citizens" and its benefits from these "integrators." He says Angola and Brazil "have reversed the brain drain and are receiving large flows of immigrants from their former colonial ruler, Portugal." But he also mentions "two most eye-catching experiments in integration" - Israel and ISIS.

Israel relies on immigration, especially from the Jewish diaspora in Europe, to thrive demographically. It is a country of over 7 million, "surrounded by enemies, in a constant state of war since its founding, with no natural resources." Thanks to immigration it "produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada, and the United Kingdom.” But its illegal settlement policies have also created much tensions with Palestinians.

ISIS’s leaders are said to be learning from Israel, which helped the "group’s rapid emergence on the map." The Islamic State is not officially recognised, but it seeks to build its caliphate, "on the basis of immigration," with help of propaganda. The Soufan Group noted that "roughly 30,000 people from 86 countries have traveled to ISIS-held territory in Syria and Iraq." But ISIS is losing ground and being gradually driven out of Iraq and Syria.

The author points out the third type of immigration superpowers - the go-betweens - which "use their geography to extract concessions from migration-phobic neighbors." Turkey is taking advantage of the refugee crisis in Europe to extort billions from Brussels, demand visa-free travel for its citizens, and a fast-track EU membership. "A leaked transcript of a recent summit with European leaders revealed how President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatened to bus refugees to Greece and Bulgaria if his demands were not met." Niger is another "go-between" being a "major transit hub through which 90% of all West African migrants pass on their way to Italy." The country had secured "€600 million ($680 million)" from the EU, and emulated Libya’s late Muammar el-Qaddafi, "who famously warned that Europe would “turn black” if it did not pay him to hold back migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean."

Honestly one can hardly call these "go-betweens" a superpower. They are just a bunch of opportunists and their gains are merely transient. How "population flows become a currency of power" depend on geopolitics and the global economy. Migration often reflects the state of national politics of the migrants, who yearn for security and prosperity that they can't find at home. But it doesn't always write success stories.