Humanitarian Borders: Unequal Mobility and Saving Lives

This book explores the politics of humanitarian responses to border violence and unequal mobility, arguing that they mask underlying injustices, depoliticize violent borders, and bolster liberal and paternalist approaches to suffering. It draws a direct line between privileges of movement and global inequalities of race, class, gender, and disability rooted in colonial histories and white supremacy.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 07 June 2022
Publisher: Verso Books

Winner of the International Political Sociology book award for 2023, this groundbreaking work delves into the complex dynamics of humanitarian responses to border violence and unequal mobility. By examining the politics behind these responses, the book challenges the notion that they merely address the immediate consequences of suffering. Instead, it argues that they often mask underlying injustices, depoliticize violent borders, and reinforce liberal and paternalistic approaches to suffering.

The book explores the diverse range of actors involved in humanitarian assistance, alongside the specific contexts and locations of their actions. It draws a direct connection between the privileges of movement and the global inequalities rooted in colonial histories, white supremacy, and humanitarian efforts that perpetuate these inequalities. Through extensive research conducted over eight years, the book sheds light on the ways in which humanitarian borderwork contributes to the construction, expansion, and deepening of restrictive borders and exclusive and exceptional identities.

The book argues that humanitarian interventions that aim to save lives often inadvertently reinforce existing inequalities. It highlights the ways in which border enforcement practices, refugee policies, and humanitarian aid distribution can perpetuate cycles of violence, displacement, and marginalization. By examining the ways in which humanitarianism is intertwined with these broader political and social dynamics, the book offers a critical analysis of the limitations and potentialities of humanitarian responses to border crises.

This thought-provoking book is a must-read for scholars, policymakers, and activists engaged in the study of border politics, humanitarianism, and social justice. It provides a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the complex relationships between these domains and offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities for addressing border violence and inequality in the contemporary world.

Dimension: 234 x 153 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781839765995