In this essay, the authors argue that although "South" and "North" are more and more becoming problematic categories in the social sciences, in general, and in migration studies, in particular, it still makes sense today to focus on South-South migrations. Not only because of its mere quantitative importance, but for a number of reasons. Firstly, new South-South migration patterns are observable and new data are becoming available. Secondly, South-South migrations still have a number of distinct features, including: the role of borders, the composition of migration flows, the migration-conflict nexus, regional migration governance, and the specific relationships with certain migration-related concepts and variables.The goal of this special section in the International Migration Review is to communicate scholarship which addresses the most significant and critical analytical issues pertaining the south-south migrations and mobilities. We proposed a number of broadly defined themes in the call for papers in late 2012: the relevance of current migration theories and social research methods for understanding the nature of transnational processes in south-south migrations and movements; causes and consequences of south-south