Migration narratives: Trapped in racism and colonialism?
<p>We have been raised and operate in an environment in which narrations on “migration” and “migrants” are intrinsically racist and colonial. The terms themselves attempt to eclipse and decontextualise Global South mobility within a deeply imbalanced and exploitative postcolonial global system. This allows policymakers to target racialized people by making their movement, stay and activities irregular through reforms focused on excluding them from legality. Public acceptance of these policies is enabled by an often-non-critical media discourse which further dehumanizes “migrants”. These othering narratives run deep and without actively seeking to identify and deconstruct them, they will be reproduced even by those acting for the interest of “migrants”. In these circumstances, can we ever talk of “migrants” and “migration” without perpetuating racism and colonialism? How much do narratives matter in efforts for social justice?</p>
Host: Hanaa Hakiki
Guests: Aghogho Akpome, Musa Okwonga, Sandra Alloush
European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights
Part of: Framing Human Rights