Tutorial 6: Undocumented migration Flashcards
What are some critics of the term ‘illegality’?
- legal grounds: a person cannot be illegal -> only acts can be illegal
- social-scientific grounds: ‘illegal’ by governments but tolerated/encouraged in migrant’s origin communities + legal/illegal distinction = not clear-cut -> migrants: various in-between statuses between full legality and full illegality
What are some critics of the alternative terms of ‘illegal’ migrants?
- irregular, undocumented, unauthorized
- problem I: irregular migration = norm rather than exception
- problem II: unauthorized: state bias -> applicable for migration but not indvs
- problem III: undocumented: migrants do have documents Eg. drivers license, registration documents, insurance documents, …
Define smuggling
- smuggling = use of paid/unpaid migration intermediaries to cross borders without authorization -> can be voluntary: out of humanitarian motives Eg. resistance movements smuggling Jews out of Nazi
Define human trafficking
- human trafficking: trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery or commercial sexual exploitation -> element of exploitation + not necessarily related to migration
What policies are mostly being used in response to irregular migration and why are they viewed as symbolic?
RECENT POLICIES?
- AIM? ‘crackdown on illegal migration’: through deporting undocumented migrants, building walls and stricter
-> however, as long as labour markets = demand for migrant workers => effectiveness = limited
SYMBOLIC MEANING POLICIES:
- stricter borders, … = appearance of control
What are some difficulties with the policies?
- barriers to mobility = contradict powerful forces of globalization
- difficulty to open borders for movements of info, commodities and capital – yet close them to people
- absence political will
- effective control = in conflict w fundamental human rights eg. raiding private homes
What is the impact of being undocumented on the way migrants choose who to interact with and how?
- factors limited formation social networks?
Speaking the language -> complicated to undocumented as fear of disclosure => undocumented migrants = limit social interactinos
Lack of time and spaces for interaction -> employed (in multiple jobs)
Fear of being imprisoned and/or deported + issue of trust - social contacts?
Fellow nationals -> mostly undocumented as gap between documented and undocumented
Acquaintances and colleagues -> often not aware of legal status => ethical dilemmas for respondents
What is the range of social activities of young undocumented migratns and the places they socialize?
- less leisure activities -> reason? Debts, obligations, eco aspirations, … + often in low-paid employment w low salaries
- younger migrants and those w family: some leisure time: eg. window shopping, playing football, video games, … -> however constant fear!
- safe places? Inviting people home, visiting them in their houses, going to church, a community centre or walking in a park, social networking sites (internet, social media, emailing, Skype, …!)
What is the role of community organizations, churches and mainstream support agencie in everyday lives?
- factors determining access support and kind of support
Demography and geography of each community -> indicate the extent existence of co-ethnic networks
History of migration and settlement -> in terms of broader community relations and diversity of employment sectors
Existence of community orgz and faith groups - actors?
Community organizations -> provide point of reference and practical assistance
Faith groups -> provide basic needs eg. shelter and food + invaluable social/work contacts -> moral credentials => trustworthiness - no advocacy and mainstream NGOs -> could help w legal assistance -> most (young) migrants = unfamiliar w those
What are the 2 forms of social capital?
Social support = resource created in strong social ties between family members, close friends and members of ethnic groups -> Major source of emotional and material support
Social leverage = mobilized from weak social ties between indvs -> use? Helps migrants “get ahead”, to change opportunity structure through access to resources in other social circles than their own
What are the tree types of aspirations migrants can hold?
- Investment migrants
-> came to BE to work and return w savings -> goal? Strive for future upward mobility in country of origin
-> ambition to return and invest in better future country of origin - Legalization migrants
-> goal? To acquire a legal residence status - Settlement migrants
-> goal? Aspire to settle down, regardless of legal or illegal status
What type of capital do investment migrants use?
Success? Use cultural capital because of their social capital + certain form of cultural capital (blow legal ceiling): job competencies => same job in BE as country of origin
Social capital: family, friends or acquaintances = acting as mediator
! job competencies should be below legal ceiling !
What type of capital do legalization migrants use?
Success? legal procedures + marriage -> need cultural capital and social capital (+ potentially eco capital - as arranged marriage)
