Swarms, Invasions, and Victims: Understanding the Victimisation and Representations of Undocumented Migrants

• In Event: Uncovering Histories of Crime, Violence and Victmization

Abstract

Drawing on recent research on the experiences of undocumented – or irregular – migrants, this paper considers how the trauma and victimisation of this population has been differentially portrayed and the shifting boundaries of what comes to be defined as victimhood. Using published images, alongside photographs from research that used photography as a form of method, it will be argued that the social construction of victimisation and the reconstructions of this across the media, in political discourse, and in everyday life serve to dictate what forms of victimisation and which victims are validated. Through considering the framework offered by cultural victimology (Mythen, 2007; Walklate et al, 2011; McGarry and Walklate, 2015), these representations can be seen as demonstrating how a selective ‘newsmaking victimology’ Elias (1994: 20) has made visible the harms experienced by some, whilst simultaneously excluding or denying that of others. However, even when explicitly depicted in the media, making visible the suffering of undocumented migrants does not always result in space for the victims’ experiences to be considered. The paper will conclude by analysing the impact and implications for this population.

Author

• Claire Fox, University of Manchester