SOSC 1130 Lecture Notes - Transnational Organized Crime
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Published on 2 Feb 2013
School
Department
Course
Professor
2012-02-16
Undocumented Migration
Introduction
•Only some people are deemed acceptable to migrate to their country of choice
•Migration policy in receiving countries has become more restrictive
•How does one respond to the barrier of receiving countries?
•Desperate individuals will do anything possible to migrate to the receiving
country
•We can call them refugees of the global economy (people seeking refuge from
certain circumstances)
•Excluded individual, the restriction of freedom of movement
•Who bears responsibility for this issue of undocumented migration?
•Who are the beneficiaries from undocumented migration?
“Illegal” Migration as a Problematic Concept
•Categories of migrants
oLegal-legal: people who have reasons to stay legally, or have visa so they
can remain until expiry date
oIllegal-legal (converted, amnesty, refugee claims): people who have come
illegally but have obtained legal status
oLegal-illegal: People who overstay expired documents
oIllegal-illegal (independent) came to Canada without documents and has
remained without documents. Not connected to any organization
oLegal-legal (indentured)
oIllegal-illegal (indentured)
•Definition of illegal migration very narrow, does not account for diversity within
•Undocumented migrants less aggressive than illegal, illegal associates with
criminals
•Risk discourse: discourse that is preoccupied with dangers, cultivates insecurities
focuses them on scapegoats and forces people to accept expert knowledge of risk
•We have moved into a risk discourse due to the cold war, now we are endangered
by illegal immigration
•This danger and risk discourse similar to terrorism, no sense of peace, uneasy,
unsure when risk will strike
•Migrant workers in an irregular situation without documents
Response
•Individual (need)
oDesperate individuals who want to migrate
•Profit driven (greed)
oTransnational organized crime organization
Profit off smuggling people across borders
oResponse of employers in receiving country
Benefit from vulnerability of undocumented migrants