Crossing: How We Label and React to People on the Move

The refugee-migrant binary is a dangerous legal fiction that reinforces harsh border control measures and is a challenge to advocates for more equitable advocacy for all border crossers.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 224 pages
\n Publication date: 01 May 2021
\n Publisher: Stanford University Press
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The concept of the refugee as distinct from other migrants has gained significant importance in today's global landscape. Immigration laws have evolved to establish a clear distinction between voluntary migrants, often driven by economic factors, who can be legitimately excluded by potential host states, and forced refugees, often driven by political motivations, who should be granted entry. This distinction has been the basis of advocacy positions that argue for specific policies and treatment of refugees. However, in her book "Crossing," Rebecca Hamlin challenges these advocacy positions and argues against the notion that border crossing can be neatly categorized into binary or continuous categories.

Hamlin emphasizes that the decision to move is a complex and multifaceted process that cannot be reduced to a simple binary or continuum. Drawing on a range of cases from across Europe, North America, South America, and the Middle East, she highlights significant inconsistencies and faulty assumptions underlying the migrant/refugee binary. The binary is not merely a convenient shorthand; rather, its power lies in its portrayal as apolitical, allowing it to be politically constructed and used to justify harsh border control measures.

Hamlin argues that the migrant/refugee binary is a dangerous legal fiction that serves to obscure the human rights and dignity of border crossers. It perpetuates the notion that certain groups of people are deserving of protection and assistance while others are not, based on arbitrary criteria such as nationality, ethnicity, or political ideology. This fiction obscures the fact that many border crossers are fleeing violence, persecution, and poverty, seeking a better life for themselves and their families.

Furthermore, the migrant/refugee binary is politically constructed to make harsh border control measures more ethically palatable to the public. It allows policymakers and policymakers to argue that they are acting in the interests of security and public safety, while ignoring the human rights and dignity of those who are affected by their policies. This construction of the binary serves to undermine the principles of human rights, justice, and compassion, which should be at the heart of any response to migration.

Hamlin's book is a call to action for all those invested in the rights and study of migrants. She challenges them to move towards more equitable advocacy for all border crossers, regardless of their status or motivations. She advocates for a more nuanced and human-centered approach to border control that recognizes the complexity of the migration landscape and prioritizes the protection and dignity of all individuals.

In conclusion, the concept of the refugee as distinct from other migrants has gained significant importance in today's global landscape. Immigration laws have evolved to establish a clear distinction between voluntary migrants and forced refugees. However, Rebecca Hamlin's book "Crossing" challenges these advocacy positions and argues against the notion that border crossing can be neatly categorized into binary or continuous categories. Hamlin emphasizes that the decision to move is a complex and multifaceted process that cannot be reduced to a simple binary or continuum. She highlights the inconsistencies and faulty assumptions underlying the migrant/refugee binary, which serves to obscure the human rights and dignity of border crossers. She calls for a more nuanced and human-centered approach to border control that prioritizes the protection and dignity of all individuals, regardless of their status or motivations.

\n Weight: 352g\n
Dimension: 229 x 151 x 17 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781503627871\n \n