Crimmigration under International Protection: Constructing Criminal Law as Governmentality

Crimmigration is a system of governmentality that governs territorially present migrants, focusing on the management, classification, and policing of domestic populations. It targets refugees and asylum-seekers who are undeportable under international law and is characterized by three main themes: crimmigration as domestication, civic stratification, and the apparatus of security and society of control. The book offers a comprehensive framework for understanding the rise of crimmigration and its particular ways of targeting resident migrants.

Format: Hardback
Length: 250 pages
Publication date: 23 March 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book delves into the intricate relationship between criminal law and immigration, exploring the phenomenon of crimmigration as a system primarily concerned with the governance of migrants who are physically present in a particular territory. By examining crimmigration at the crossroads of international refugee law, it sheds light on the inherent impracticability of removal and replaces expulsion with domestic policing.

Crimmigration, as a paradigmatic model for governing migration in the age of globalization, has gained significant attention. This book offers a novel perspective on crimmigration by framing it as a system of governmentality, with the primary focus on the population, its knowledge base being political economy, and its central mechanism being the apparatus of security. It accomplishes this by characterizing a specific model of crimmigration, known as "crimmigration under international protection," which targets refugees and asylum-seekers who are primarily undeportable under international law.

The book draws upon comprehensive comparative research of similar models implemented across the globe, complemented by a detailed case study of the immigration detention system initiated in Israel to address the specific challenges posed by asylum-seekers. Through these models, the book demonstrates that crimmigration is not a system of outright social exclusion aimed at expelling undesirable migrants. Instead, it revolves around the management, classification, and policing of domestic populations. It argues that under crimmigration regimes, criminal law assumes a crucial role in facilitating the gradual assimilation of migrants by shifting immigration enforcement from the periphery of the state to the daily supervision of territorially present migrants.

To illustrate this point, the book explores three central themes: crimmigration as domestication, crimmigration as civic stratification, and crimmigration as securitization. It examines how crimmigration regimes domesticate migrants by criminalizing their presence, restricting their rights and freedoms, and subjecting them to surveillance and control. It also explores how crimmigration contributes to the stratification of society by creating a hierarchy of migrants based on their legal status and criminal records, which can lead to discrimination and social exclusion. Furthermore, the book examines how crimmigration is intertwined with the securitization of borders and the construction of national identities. It explores how the criminalization of migration serves to reinforce border security and control, while also contributing to the construction of narratives that portray migrants as threats to national security.

In conclusion, this book provides a comprehensive and insightful analysis of crimmigration as a system of governmentality. It sheds light on the complex dynamics between criminal law, immigration law, and the governance of migration in the age of globalization. By examining crimmigration through the lens of governmentality, the book offers a valuable contribution to our understanding of the challenges and complexities faced by migrants, policymakers, and society as a whole.

Weight: 630g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032148915