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

by Rebecca Hamlin

Today, the concept of "the refugee" as distinct from other migrants looms large. Immigration laws have developed to reinforce a dichotomy between those viewed as voluntary, often economically motivated, migrants who can be legitimately excluded by potential host states, and those viewed as forced, often politically motivated, refugees who should be let in. In Crossing , Rebecca Hamlin argues against advocacy positions that cling to this distinction. Everything we know about people who decide to move suggests that border crossing is far more complicated than any binary, or even a continuum, can encompass. Drawing on cases of various "border crises" across Europe, North America, South America, and the Middle East, Hamlin outlines major inconsistencies and faulty assumptions on which the binary relies. The migrant/refugee binary is not just an innocuous shorthand―indeed, its power stems from the way in which it is painted as apolitical. In truth, the binary is a dangerous legal fiction, politically constructed with the ultimate goal of making harsh border control measures more ethically palatable to the public. This book is a challenge to all those invested in the rights and study of migrants to move toward more equitable advocacy for all border crossers.

Genres: Politics, Anthropology, Nonfiction, Sociology, Language

224 pages, Hardcover

Published May 11, 2021

Reviews

[Hattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Okay I haven’t read the whole thing, but I read portions for a class and I 10/10 share and support Hamlin’s perspective. Really great work.)

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating account of the way the migrant/refugee binary is portrayed by media outlets, academics, politicians, international organizations, etc. and how this correlates to understandings of deservingness among migrants. I was particularly interested by the chapter "Uneven Sovereignties," which describes how the decolonization process and codification of the refugee category occurred simultaneously. I also was fascinated by the chapter "Global South," which shows the ways in which the standard Eurocentric refugee definition often does not have meaning in other contexts and that countries in the Global South may provide a large amount of support/space for migrants fleeing persecution without legally defining them as refugees.