Illegality, Inc.: Clandestine Migration and the Business of Bordering Europe. By Ruben Andersson.

Abstract

This book substantiates the maxim that fact is often stranger than fiction. It builds on scholarly literature that has emphasized the many injustices and misrepresentations associated with migration in multiple settings, in particular literature that critiques the attachment of the notion of ‘illegality’ not only to the process of migration, but also to the migrants themselves. Its contribution lies in its relentless investigation into the workings of what the author refers to as the ‘illegal migration industry’ or ‘illegality industry’ in the emerging Euro-African borderlands (p. 3), which surrounds the migrant. It explores this facet of migration by analysing how migrants themselves see this industry: what it is, and who has benefited from its actions. Although the findings might not come as a great surprise to most within the academic community, its rich empirical data and the thoroughness with which the author tackles the ‘illegality industry’ provide for a strong contribution to a wider body of literature that is concerned with narratives that lie behind popular images of the migrant.