Undocumented Immigrants Research Articles

Migration as a Securitized Phenomenon: An Analysis of the Societal Security in Terms of EU Perception

In the 21st century, the diversification of communication and transportation opportunities has not only facilitated regular migration movements but also led to changes in the volume and dimensions of irregular migration. Migrants not only significantly influence the demographic, sociological, and economic structures of the countries they move to but have also become subjects of security concerns. Member countries of the European Union (EU) are targeted by migration movements due to attractive factors such as high living and working conditions, economic prosperity, and governance styles that respect human rights. Claims that migrants threaten the societal security of the EU by affecting its language, religion, cultural values, traditions, and national identities have become frequent topics of discussion in political and academic circles. In this regard, the main aim of the study is to determine whether migration poses a threat to the societal security of the EU or if such a perception exists in EU society. The findings indicate a strong perception in EU society that migration constitutes a threat to societal security.

Migration crisis fueled by the challenges and uncertainties facing the new Afghanistan

After the US withdrew from Afghanistan by ending its 20-year occupation, the country was completely under the administration of the Taliban. However, at the end of this process, some uncertainties emerged such as what the political administration, social life and economic situation would be in Afghanistan, as well as how security and justice would be established. The Interim Government, formed by the Taliban, had to meet the expectations in the international arena while overcoming these uncertainties. However, it has also been understood that the integration of Afghanistan under the Taliban administration with the contemporary world will not be rapid. In addition, irregular migration to the West due to the long-lasting war in Afghanistan, and the effect of these increasing mass movements over time, the new uncertainties that emerged in Afghanistan, on irregular migration were also analyzed. Thus, it has been tried to determine whether irregular migration originating from Afghanistan can be prevented.

외국인 밀집지역의 무질서가 범죄두려움에 미치는 영향과 사회통제에 따른 조절효과

As the number of foreigners in the country increases, existing foreigner neighborhoods are spreading out. As the number of foreign residents increases, foreign crime seems to increase, but the foreign crime rate remains at a similar level. However, in areas where foreigners are concentrated, the top five violent crimes, illegal immigration, and drug-related crimes are increasing compared to those of Koreans, and it is necessary to prepare and operate security policy measures. In addition, the level of fear of crime is higher in the case of Koreans in areas with high concentration of foreigners compared to Koreans in areas with low concentration of foreigners, and it is necessary to continue research on this topic. Therefore, this study set up a research model based on disorder and social control factors, which are the main influencing factors that are related to crime fear in previous studies. This study aimed to test the moderating effects of formal social control and informal social control on the relationship between foreigners' and locals' perceptions of disorder and general crime fear in foreigner-dense areas. The results showed that the level of perceived social disorder influenced general crime fear among foreigners, and both physical disorder and social disorder influenced general crime fear among natives. Finally, the moderating effect of social control was found to be that for foreigners, formal social control moderated both social disorder and general fear of crime. Based on this, it can be seen that it is necessary to strengthen formal social control in areas where foreigners are concentrated and build a social system that allows informal social control to function properly. It is hoped that the results of this study will be used as a basis for the development of public security policies to resolve problems such as the increase in the number of foreigners in Korea and the fear of crime that may arise due to the continuous increase in the number of foreigners staying in Korea.

Introduction

The June 2023 issue of our journal brings together our valuable readers with six different articles. In this issue, there are two research articles, one focusing on the continent of Europe and one on the Asian continent, two opinion articles focusing on the migration issue, which is one of the most important agenda items of Turkey and indeed the world, and two book reviews. The first research paper, authored by John Conrad Masabo, examines the potential repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on the future of European Union (EU) integration and its global impact. Exploring different views on whether the EU can become the most influential power in the post-COVID-19 world, the author suggests that while this possibility exists, there are significant hurdles that the EU must overcome before achieving such status. Merve Özten Yıldız, the author of the second research article, which aims to reveal how India is trying to construct a South Asian identity with Indo-Pacific discourses, examines the rise of India as the second most influential power in Asia. In his article, the author analyzes the official and practical discourse of India to understand its role in shaping regional identity and its growing influence on the international scene. The first review essay, authored by Müzeyyen Okyay, focuses on the issue of migration. The author dealt with the refugee and migrant problem, which has recently become the primary agenda item in EU-Turkey relations. In this study, the situation of people who have to migrate from their homeland, which is a common problem of Turkey and the EU and requires joint efforts to solve, has been examined within the framework of local laws and international agreements, and the effects of migration on the relations between Turkey and the EU have been analyzed. The second review essay belongs to Ufuk Tok. In this article, Tok examines the uncertainties that arose in Afghanistan following the US withdrawal and the Taliban takeover in August 2021. The author, who has the expectation that the integration of the country under the rule of the Taliban with the contemporary world will not be easy and quick, but will be gradual, also analyzes the effect of the long-lasting war on irregular migration from Afghanistan to the west and explores the possibilities of preventing the migration movement towards Turkey. The first review in the publication review section belongs to Selin Çınar. Çınar presents a comprehensive review of the compilation book The Routledge Handbook of Ideology and International Relations, edited by Jonathan Leader Maynard and Mark L. Haased and published in 2022. The second publication evaluation was made by Ahmet Emin Yıldız and is on the book titled Post-Cold War China-India Relations, written by Nezir Oğuş, the first edition of which was published in 2021. We would like to thank all the authors who have contributed to this issue of our journal by sending their works, and all the referees who have put effort in the evaluation process of these works; we hope that the continuing interest in our journal from the national and international academic community will continue.

Dignity of Work and at Work: The Relationship between Workplace Dignity and Health among Latino Immigrants during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Latino immigrants living in the United States were highly vulnerable to the health and economic consequences brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. We use the conceptual framing of workplace dignity, worth that is acknowledged based on performance of job responsibilities, to explore Latino immigrants' experiences during the early months of the pandemic. A qualitative study was conducted with La Clínica del Pueblo (La Clínica), a community health center serving low-income Latino immigrants. From June to December 2020, we conducted in-depth video interviews with 29 Latino immigrant clients to explore pandemic-related challenges, including workplace changes, discriminatory experiences, and effects on health. We conducted thematic analysis using Dedoose software. Nearly half of participants were undocumented immigrants. Most participants were unemployed or underemployed due to the pandemic and 26-49 years of age; one-third were still working, and one-quarter were 50 years or older. About half were cisgender women and two were transgender women. Employed participants experienced a lack of dignity through being socially isolated and stigmatized at work; receiving no compensation for their extra labor or for sick leave; and experiencing discriminatory labor practices. Unemployed participants experienced a lack of dignity in being the first to lose their jobs without government support; losing self-esteem; and not being rehired. Participants associated denial of dignity with worsening health conditions and increased anxiety and depression. Our study suggests that denial of workplace dignity-through job loss, underemployment, and poor working conditions-is linked to adverse health outcomes for Latino immigrants. More research should recognize workplace dignity as an important social determinant of health.

Feeling Saudade: Transborder Brazilian children’s critical consciousness in liminal zones of dual language bilingual education classrooms

ABSTRACT This article reports on a multi-year ethnographic study that explored how transborder children with ties to Brazil and the U.S. embodied and further (co-)developed critical consciousness in K-3 two-way dual language bilingual education (DLBE) classrooms. Leveraging a decolonial transborder approach in the analysis of classroom observation data, this article foregrounds how the children contested marginalized social identities related to unauthorized immigration status and co-constructed subalternized knowledge under the teacher’s radar in spatio-temporal liminal zones of sanctioned classroom discourse. Such contestation, embedded in accounts of saudade, or nostalgic longing, as well as transnational im/mobility, mapped onto critical consciousness components. This study calls on bilingual education scholars to attune to elementary-aged children’s knowledges, subjectivities, and actions on various scales as essential to understand and further support their critical consciousness formation.

Positioning and Resistance: a Narrative Inquiry of Undocumented Mexican Domestic Workers in New York City

This study explores the life experiences and empowerment of five emblematic undocumented Mexican domestic workers in New York City (NYC). Employing identity as a conceptual framework, we delve into the intricate aspects of the participants' lives, utilizing narrative inquiry and feminist methodologies to analyze the dynamics between their performative identities and the prevailing ideologies concerning undocumented immigrants. The narratives unveil feelings of rejection and exclusion among the participants in NYC. Additionally, the focus is on their efforts to challenge societal norms, resist dominant ideologies, and devise strategies for resistance. All five participants express a sense of empowerment derived from their experiences, enabling them to reconstruct their past and present themselves as resilient, proactive individuals, activists, and proficient English speakers. Ultimately, the findings demonstrate how the participants assert their narrative identities, reclaiming their subjectivities and subverting patriarchal norms by transcending conventional societal roles.

Regulating European Union’s Border in Africa

Ceuta and Melilla are two enclaves that belong to Spain in Morocco and have become the contact points of the irregular migrants coming from Africa that are attempting to reach the European continent. The enclaves have utilized innovative technology and barbed wire, but immigrant crises have occurred over the years. Despite the crises, the Spanish and Moroccan governments choose to perform a semi-permeable border. This article explains the semi-permeable border using the liberal institutional theory. This article argues that a semi-permeable border is chosen by the Spanish and Moroccan governments to fulfill their mutual self-interests. The Spanish government agrees to perform a semi-permeable border to retain the symbolic border of the region. The blurring overlap in the enclaves has put the Spanish government to use help from the European Union to conduct security measures in the region. The Moroccan government agrees to perform a semi-permeable border to retain its influence over the enclaves and uses the immigrant crises as a bargaining chip for the European Union. The European Union maximizes the performance of a semi-permeable border to pursue its interest, which is to conduct the Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Agreement.

Using Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS) to Identify the Healthcare Needs among Women of Reproductive Age Who Migrated from Venezuela to Brazil, 2018-2021.

In 2021, an RDS survey was conducted among Venezuelan migrant women of reproductive age who migrated to two Brazilian cities (Manaus and Boa Vista) from 2018 to 2021. To start the RDS recruitment, we chose seeds non-randomly in both cities. The study variables were age, educational level, self-rated health, pregnancy, migratory status and use of health services. We estimated the prevalence, confidence intervals and homophily effects by variable category. We used a multivariate logistic regression model to identify the main factors associated with healthcare use. A total of 761 women were recruited in Manaus and 1268 in Boa Vista. Manaus showed more irregular migrants than Boa Vista. The main reasons for using health services were as follows: illness, disease prevention and prenatal care. The logistic regression model showed the use of health services was associated with educational level and healthcare needs but not with migratory status. The social inclusion of Venezuelan migrants is extremely relevant, although many challenges must be overcome. The strategy of the Brazilian Federal Government for providing humanitarian assistance to Venezuelan migrants should be expanded to include and facilitate their integration into labor markets, access to healthcare and education, benefiting both migrants and the Brazilian people by reducing social inequality.

Why do some cities support irregular migrants? Qualitative comparative analysis of municipal activism for irregular migrants in 13 European global cities

ABSTRACT The present study seeks to understand under which conditions cities enact inclusionary policies and practices for irregular migrants. Previous research points out the influence of political ideology, local autonomy, economic capacity, diversity, or civil society alliances. We argue that a city’s proactive and supportive stance towards irregular migrants may not be explained fully by one or another single factor, but rather by their combination. Through a fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis of 13 European cities, it was found that the combination of a political discrepancy between the local government and national state, as well as local alliances between the municipality and local civil society organizations, is a necessary condition for municipalities to take a proactive and supportive stance towards irregular migrants.

Taking Stock of the EU-Turkey Statement in 2024

Abstract The EU-Turkey Statement of March 2016 aimed to end irregular migration from Turkey to the European Union (EU). Since 2016, the relationship between Turkey and the EU has undergone significant changes. While the EU fulfilled only two of its promises under the Statement, Turkey suspended the implementation of the return component of the Statement in 2020 and stopped readmitting third-country nationals from Greece. Meanwhile, recent judgments delivered by the European Court of Human Rights, such as Akkad v. Turkey and G.B. and others v. Turkey, have shed new light on conditions facing refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants in Turkey. This article aims to analyse the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement as of 2024 by examining to what extent Turkey and the European Union, as well as its Member States, have fulfilled their pledges and acted in line with the course of action agreed under the Statement. It also aims to investigate to what extent Turkey’s assumed status as a safe third country has changed over the years. Given that the number of irregular passages towards the EU through Turkey has decreased considerably and that the return component of the Statement is not currently implemented, we argue that the assessment of whether Turkey is safe should be made with reference to refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants contained in Turkey as a result of the EU-Turkey Statement arrangements not just those returned under the EU-Turkey Statement.

Perinatal mortality among pregnant undocumented migrants in Norway 1999–2020: A register-based population study

BackgroundIrregular legal status is a recognized health risk factor in the context of migration. However, undocumented migrants are rarely included in health surveys and register studies. Adverse perinatal outcomes are especially important because they have long-term consequences and societal risk factors are modifiable. In this study, we compare perinatal outcomes in undocumented migrants to foreign-born and Norwegian-born residents, using a population-based register. MethodsWe included women 18–49 years old giving birth to singletons as registered in the Medical Birth Registry of Norway from 1999 to 2020. Women were categorized as ‘undocumented migrants’ (without an identity number), ‘documented migrants’ (with an identity number and born abroad), and ‘non-migrants’ (with an identity number and born in Norway). The main outcome was perinatal mortality, i.e., death of a foetus ≥ gestational week 22, or neonate up to seven days after birth. We used log-binominal regression to estimate the association between legal status and perinatal mortality, adjusting for several maternal pre-gestational and gestational factors. Direct standardization was used to adjust for maternal region of origin. Ethical approvalRegional Ethical Committee (REK South East, case number 68329). ResultsWe retrieved information on 5856 undocumented migrant women who gave birth during the study period representing 0.5% of the 1 247 537 births in Norway. Undocumented migrants had a relative risk of 6.17 (95% confidence interval 5.29 ̶7.20) of perinatal mortality compared to non-migrants and a relative risk of 4.17 (95% confidence interval 3.51 ̶4.93) compared to documented migrants. Adjusting for maternal region of origin attenuated the results slightly. ConclusionBeing undocumented is strongly associated with perinatal mortality in the offspring. Disparities were not explained by maternal origin or maternal health factors, indicating that social determinants of health through delays in receiving adequate care and factors negatively influencing gestational length may be of importance.

Exploring Community-Based Interventions in Boys’ Education: Keeping Boys in School and Fighting Irregular 'Backway' Migration

The study is an in-depth qualitative exploration of the factors contributing to school dropout rates among boys in Serrekunda, particularly in the context of the allure of irregular migration via the 'Backway'. Data was collected through semi-structured virtual interviews with key stakeholders in boys’ education in the Gambia and the United States. Using thematic analysis and triangulation, the findings reiterate the need for an integrative approach to address socio-economic, educational, and cultural factors to keep boys in school and fight irregular migration. The study uncovers best practices and evidence-based community-driven interventions to keep boys in school and increase school completion rates. The interventions include quality monitoring and mentoring, revitalizing after-school programs, enhancing the relevance of schoolwork to future career paths, school-community partnership, providing vocational training, and strengthening parental engagement. Recommendations include ways to explore community-based initiatives and adopt of best practices to keep boys in school and fight irregular migration in Gambia’s Serrekunda Metropolis by empowering boys with skills, knowledge, and opportunities for socio-economic advancement within their communities.

The influence of visual and textual frames on people’s perception of migrants

This study investigated how the combination of textual and visual frames influences the attribution of responsibility for arrest and deportation of undocumented migrants and empathy. A 3 visual frame: (no photo, stereotypical photo, counter-stereotypical photo) × 2 textual frame: (episodic, thematic) between-subjects online experiment revealed that including a counter-stereotypical photograph in both episodic and thematic news stories had a positive effect on empathy for undocumented migrants but did not affect responsibility for arrest and deportation. Adding a stereotypical photograph to an episodic news story significantly reduced societal responsibility for arrest and deportation and decreased the level of empathy.

Ambivalent Culture: A Migrant's Subject in Kiran Desai’s the Inheritance of Loss

The research explores The Inheritance of Loss from the perspective of Post-colonialism. The cultural relation between East and West or the Indian and Western culture is hierarchical, controversial, and ambivalent due to misunderstanding and misinterpretation. In this age of multiculturalism and globalization, any individual has a fondness for Western culture. But being a migrant, people experience cultural controversy and contradictory feelings simultaneously. Ambivalent Culture is the subject of Third and Fourth World people. At first, these people observe the First and Second World; and assume their superiority in culture, custom, and lifestyle; and they are highly modernized and technologically updated. Due to these assumptions, the Third and Fourth World people willingly migrate to the First and Second World with the dream of economic prosperity and for the betterment of life to secure a better future by accepting the very concept of Western lifestyle, custom, and culture. The main problem of migrants appears with the involvement of Western lifestyle and culture, and they encounter cultural dilemmas and trauma. The migrants realize the gap between their own culture and another culture; and as compensation the hybridity in culture appears—the migrants relocate their existence with the cultural hierarchy, disorder, geopolitical confusion, inequality, illegal immigration, and forefront terrorism activity. The Third and Fourth World people’s migration to secure life with prosperity and a bright future in the First and Second World postulates the imbalance contact between self-identity and foreign identity which lead to the crucial situation and forms ambivalent culture; of the subject of migrant.

Editor's Highlights – July 2024

AbstractArtificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing dermatology by enhancing diagnostic accuracy and offering personalized treatment recommendations based on individual patient characteristics and medical history. This month's editorial discusses the transformative role of AI in dermatology, emphasizing its potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy, personalize treatment, and improve healthcare delivery efficiency. It highlights three manuscripts addressing AI's applications in dermatopathology, climate change‐related skin disorders, and health care for undocumented immigrants. Ethical concerns, such as AI transparency and overdiagnosis, are also noted. Additionally, new treatments for atopic dermatitis (AD) are examined. We specifically recommend two recent reports on the efficacy of dupilumab in pediatric AD and refractory hand eczema (HE), demonstrating advancements in dermatological therapy for treatment‐resistant conditions.

The Persistence of the Hostile Environment after the Windrush Scandal

AbstractUnlike most immigration policy areas amidst Brexit, the government's ‘hostile environment’ approach has changed little since 2014, despite it making no measurable impact on the migration statistics the government prioritises, while landing it in hot water over the Windrush scandal. Why does the hostile environment nevertheless persist? Despite its strong association with today's Conservatives, the hostile environment extends a decades‐long trend of deepening various social systems’ involvement in UK immigration control, creating increasing problems when long‐settled immigrants face suspicion at vulnerable life stages. Yet, the hostile environment provides a way to pursue legitimacy in immigration control given the UK state's particular limitations and pressures: it demonstrates action against ‘illegal immigration’, avoids revealing earlier control lapses and averts difficult reforms, like national identification cards, to monitor the population more thoroughly. The risks of this approach have only increased as Brexit has unsettled migration statuses, yet the hostile environment will likely remain.

A Critical Analysis of the European Union (EU) Securitization of African Migration as Societal Insecurity

This paper focuses on the version of EU constructed interrelation between migration and security whereby African migration (regular and mostly irregular) is perceived threatening to the European civilization and national security with the need for extraordinary measures to address it. This delineates how African migration to Europe becomes securitized and the basic tenets of the securitization substantiate how it has been one-sidedly portrayed. The EU securitization approach towards African migration and its counterproductive outcomes have attracted the attention of this research. This approach is criticized to have created a distorted stereotypical image about African migrants generally while it has failed to prioritize and address the different socio-economic and political conditions fueling irregular migration from the continent. This research has relied on secondary sources and employs a qualitative research method, which reviews current literature on the topic under study. It aims to critically analyze the EU securitization of African migration as societal insecurity with the use of Copenhagen School of Security Study (CSS) conceptualization of securitization and societal security as structural and theoretical framework of the study. CSS elucidates the possibility of transferring a non-political issue or event into the field of security through a speech act, which is known as securitization, and international migration is one of the common focus areas of securitization theory. This research keys on deconstructing the general perception of African migrants as existential threats to the European society compelling xenophobia and societal security issues, necessitating various strict migration policies adopted against African migrants.

Afghan Migration Coverage Of 2023: An Analysis From Pakistan

The study has been designed to investigate the coverage of Afghan migrants in leading Newspapers of Pakistan. Afghan refugees are residing in Pakistan from the past 3 decades. The study focused on the news coverage of recent Afghan refugee migration from Pakistan following the government of Pakistan decision to send off undocumented migrants to Afghanistan. For Newspapers, daily Dawn, Daily Jang and Nawaiwaqt were selected. The studies use framing as a theoretical framework to analyze the treatment given to Afghan refugees in the selected press. The finding of the study indicates that the Nawaiwaqt gave more favorable coverage to Afghan refugees followed by Dawn and least was given by Daily Jang. While unfavorable treatment was highest in the coverage of Jang newspaper.

Cultural Dynamics of Irregular Ethiopian Migration: Insights From Kembata Emigrants to the Republic of South Africa

Executive Summary This paper examines the cultural influences on irregular migration to South Africa from the Kembata-Tembaro Zone of Ethiopia. It reports on a mixed methods study, with a cross-sectional household survey ( n = 316) to examine indicators about society’s perceptions, cultural values, and the impact of remittances on migration. In-depth interviews ( n = 24) with migrant returnees and experts in the Kembata-Tembaro Zone Labor and Social Affairs Office explored their experiences and perceptions of irregular migration. The study established a connection between cultural influences and irregular migration of Ethiopians to the Republic of South Africa. Overall, the study demonstrates that the culture of migration among the Kembatas is primarily driven by a cumulative migration experience facilitated through migrant social networks. Economic incentives, such as prospects of better income and improved living conditions, are the main drivers for individuals to embark on this migratory journey. In addition, social factors, including familial networks, community ties, and remittances from migrants, significantly influence households’ attitudes toward migration. The paper ends with recommendations to address the problems related to irregular Ethiopian migration to South Africa, to enhance the well-being of Kembata emigrants, and to maximize the benefits of migration.