Samenvatting Migration
Introductie
The Lampedusa Tragedy (3 October 2013)
• A boat carrying 518 migrants stalled near Lampedusa, a small Italian island, after its
engine stopped working.
• The captain, in an attempt to attract help, accidentally started a fire on board. The
passengers panicked, causing the boat to capsize.
• 366 migrants drowned, many of whom could not swim, while survivors clung to
floating corpses until rescued.
• Those who perished were buried in Sicily, and while a state funeral was held,
survivors were excluded, being detained in camps for asylum-seekers. The Italian
government even extended invitations to Eritrean officials, a government responsible
for driving many of the migrants to flee, but not to the survivors themselves.
• The Lampedusa disaster adds to a long history of similar tragedies across various
migration routes around the world, such as between Indonesia and Australia, across
the US-Mexico border, and in the Aegean Sea.
Questions Arising from the Tragedy
• Why do people undertake such perilous journeys, and what reception do they find in
their new destinations?
• This book attempts to answer these questions through a geographical or spatial
perspective, addressing concepts such as space, place, territory, and scale, which are
often overlooked in migration studies.
Role of Geography and Spatial Concepts in Understanding Migration
• The tragedy highlights how geographical connections between places like Eritrea and
Libya, and ultimately Lampedusa, shape migration routes.
• Migrants' decisions are influenced by social networks that communicate the perceived
value of destinations.
• The interaction of local, national, and supra-national authorities (like the European
Union) in controlling migration reveals different scales of regulation.
• Local spaces of enforcement, such as those in Lampedusa, are part of larger migratory
systems, extending from Africa to Europe.
• The book promises to explore how relationships between wealthy and poorer countries
create these migration patterns and what happens to migrants when they settle in
wealthier nations.
Migration and Mobility Studies
, • Scholars like Sheller and Urry suggest that the social sciences should embrace the
concept of mobility rather than viewing stability and nation-states as the default
human condition.
• Migration and mobility should be seen as natural phenomena, while territory and
national borders are considered aberrations.
• However, the authors question whether migration, especially of asylum-seekers and
refugees, can be fully understood within a mobility paradigm, as territorial borders and
immigration regulations continue to restrict and shape mobility.
Multidisciplinary Approach to Migration
• The book draws on various social sciences, including anthropology, economics,
geography, political science, and sociology, to capture the complexity of migration.
• It focuses specifically on international, low-income migration, including the
experiences of asylum-seekers and refugees, rather than offering a detached
commentary filled with statistics.
Four Key Foci of the Book
1. Global South to Global North Migration: While emphasizing international
migration from poorer to wealthier countries, the book also covers internal migration,
especially in poorer nations.
2. Experiences of Migrants in the Global North: Although the focus is on
disadvantaged migrants, the book also considers migration within wealthier nations.
3. Highly Skilled and High-Income Migrants: While these migrants are relatively
privileged, they are also subject to exclusionary processes, including racism and
underemployment.
4. International Student Mobility: Student migrants, despite their privileged status,
face security concerns, visa restrictions, and discrimination, making them a significant
subject of study in migration discourse.
Humanizing the Discussion
• The authors intend to move beyond abstract academic discussions of migration by
using real-life examples and narratives that place a human face on the categories of
migrants being studied.
Migrant Stories
1. Laika (Jacqueline) – An ‘illegal’ immigrant in Malaysia:
o Laika, a 22-year-old woman from Mindanao, Philippines, migrated to Sabah,
Malaysia, on an illegally arranged passport and visa.
o She worked in a restaurant for low wages, married a man named Salim to
escape financial difficulties, and avoided public spaces due to fear of
immigration authorities.
o Laika’s story exemplifies the precariousness of many undocumented migrants,
particularly women, who face constant fear of deportation and lack legal status.
2. Asha – An asylum-seeker in Finland:
o Asha, a Somali woman, fled civil war and joined her brother in Finland,
leaving behind her husband, and sought asylum.
, o She later brought her children from Somalia, adopted two more, and became
an assistant nurse.
o Her story highlights the challenges faced by asylum-seekers, particularly single
mothers, who must navigate personal losses and struggles with integrating into
a new society.
3. Lilliam – A low-income immigrant in New York:
o Lilliam, from El Salvador, fled the civil war to protect her children. In New
York, she worked as a live-in domestic worker earning low wages while
separated from her children, who lived in a small apartment nearby.
o Despite her former life as an educated professional in El Salvador, she found
herself in a menial job in the US, reflecting the sacrifice and struggles of many
low-income migrants.
Key Themes and Issues in Migration
• Migration as a Complex and Fluid Phenomenon:
o The diversity in these stories underscores the complexity of migration, which
involves changing legal statuses, precarious living conditions, and multiple
trajectories.
o The concept of ‘migrancy’ refers to the fluid and ongoing nature of movement
across space and time, contrasting with the more static, stable assumptions
typically made about people’s lives.
• Importance of Categories in Migration Studies:
o Despite the fluidity of migrant lives, governments, scholars, and policymakers
use categories (e.g., internal vs. international migration, legal vs.
undocumented) to make sense of migration.
o Categories such as "forced" or "voluntary" migration often blur in real life,
making it difficult to neatly classify the motivations or statuses of migrants.
Critical Reflection on Migration Categories
• Internal vs. International Migration:
o Internal migration refers to movement within a country, such as from rural to
urban areas. The book, however, focuses on international migration, which
may involve multiple stages or countries before reaching a final destination.
o The distinction between "temporary" and "permanent" migration is also fluid,
with many migrants maintaining the "myth of return," or a psychological
desire to go back to their homeland.
• Legal vs. Undocumented Migration:
o Legal migrants have official authorization to live or work in a destination
country, while undocumented migrants enter clandestinely or overstay their
visas.
o The term "illegal" is inaccurate and pejorative; the preferred term,
"undocumented," highlights the legal challenges migrants face without labeling
them as inherently unlawful.
• Forced vs. Voluntary Migration:
o Migration exists on a continuum between forced (e.g., refugees, asylum-
seekers) and voluntary (e.g., labor migrants) movement.
, o Forced migration can occur due to political persecution or economic necessity,
and distinguishing between genuine asylum-seekers and economic migrants is
often contentious for governments.
• Economic Migration:
o Economic migration, often viewed negatively compared to "more deserving"
refugees, involves individuals fleeing poverty, unemployment, or
environmental disasters.
o Governments of wealthy nations often interpret economic hardship as
voluntary migration, distinguishing it from asylum-seekers fleeing political
persecution, though this distinction is frequently criticized.
• Skilled vs. Low-Skilled Migration:
o The book challenges the distinction between "skilled" and "unskilled"
migrants, noting that many migrants possess valuable skills that are not
recognized in destination countries.
o Highly skilled migrants may migrate voluntarily to seek career opportunities,
while low-skilled migrants are often forced to migrate due to economic
necessity. However, many highly skilled migrants also flee poverty or political
issues, complicating the neat categorization of skill levels with voluntary or
forced migration.
The Role of Governments and Public Perception
• Governmental and Public Attitudes:
o Migration is not just a concern for migrants; it involves governments, citizens,
media, and academics. Categories like "economic migrant" or "refugee"
influence public and policy debates, often reinforcing an "us vs. them"
mentality.
o The portrayal of migrants in the media, particularly in terms of asylum-seekers
and economic migrants, affects their reception in host countries, with terms
like "bogus asylum-seekers" used to delegitimize migrants’ claims.
International Conventions and Legal Frameworks
• Asylum-seekers and Refugees:
o The 1951 Geneva Convention and its 1967 Protocol define the legal status of
refugees and asylum-seekers, focusing on those fleeing persecution based on
race, religion, nationality, or political opinion.
o Governments must decide whether to grant refugee status based on these
international agreements, though the process is often influenced by
interpretations of "fear" and political circumstances.
o Many refugees remain in poorer countries or camps, while wealthier nations
limit the number of asylum-seekers accepted, often resulting in more restrictive
interpretations of refugee laws.
Conclusion and Moving Forward
• The chapter concludes by acknowledging the complexity of migration categories and
the importance of understanding migration as a process, not a single event. While
terms like "asylum-seeker," "refugee," and "economic migrant" have real implications
