Held in fear, detention, or life? Unauthorized migrants' varied understandings of deportability and detainability.

• In Event: Criminology of Mobility. Panel 1. Immigration processes and mobility control

Abstract

Nicholas De Genova's influential concepts of 'deportability' and 'detainability' elucidate how the absence of legal residence status profoundly affects the daily lives of unauthorized migrants. 'Deportability' refers to the constant fear of being deported to one's country of origin, while 'detainability' describes the apprehension of being held in a detention center pending deportation. Both concepts are frequently employed to analyze the consequences of contemporary migration control systems. However, relatively little research has been conducted on the varied experiences of 'deportability' and 'detainability' among different migrant groups. In this presentation, we draw upon years of ethnographic research on unauthorized migrants in the Netherlands to discuss the differentiated experiences of 'deportability' and 'detainability' among three groups of unauthorized migrants, each differing in migration experiences, social embeddedness, and aspirations. We highlight the Kafkaesque situations migrants encounter during their long-term unauthorized stay and the consequences for their fears of deportation or detention. By examining how the lack of legal status differently impacts their everyday lives, we provide a more nuanced understanding of both concepts and reflect on the practical and moral questions these insights raise concerning contemporary migration control systems.

Authors

• Mieke Kox, Erasmus University Rotterdam

• Richard Staring, Erasmus University Rotterdam