Migration Lecture 1

Question 1

Hardy, 2019

Answer 1

• The Home Office being able to access data that public sector organisations can deters people from reporting crime, if they are an illegal immigrant.

Question 2

Fekete, 2020; Weller et al, 2019

Answer 2

Deters people from going to the doctors.

Question 3

May, 2012

Answer 3

“The aim is to create, here in Britain, a really hostile environment for illegal immigrants.”

Question 4

Bowling and Westenra, 2020

Answer 4

“The vast majority of irregular migrants are otherwise law-abiding people and would not be considered ‘threat’ to anyone’s safety.”

Question 5

Four facts about asylum seekers:

Answer 5

• They make up 0.6% of the UK population.
• 2016-2018, 54% of asylum applicants received a grant - just under half refused or ongoing.
• Jan 2020-Sep 2020, majority of AS did not arrive in small boats.
• The Pew Report - between 800,000 and 1.2m people living in the UK do not have a valid residence permit - another report suggests the majority of these are VISA overstayers.

Question 6

‘The criminalisation of migration’

Answer 6

“Criminalising migration has not been shown to prevent irregular status […] concerning practice.”

Question 7

Migrants are a modern day ‘folk devil.’

Answer 7

• Demonised and over-policed.
  This leads to:
• Creation of specific immigration crime offences.
• Deportation as a response to criminal penalty UK Borders Act 2007.
• Making those who facilitate irregular migrants liable for criminal and civil sanction UK Immigration Acts of 2014 & 2016.
• Restrictive and punitive civil exclusions - access to everyday activities are denied.

Question 8

Blanchette and Da Silva (2012)

Answer 8

• Describe a lot of the rhetoric around sex trafficking as ‘bullshit’.

Question 9

Frankfurt (2006)

Answer 9

Warn that reliance on dodgy statistics and the conflation of trafficking with other forms of migration and labour risk eliciting sympathy fatigue amongst the general public.

Question 10

‘On Bullshit’

Answer 10

• A 2005 book by Harry G. Frankfurt.
• BS is speech that is intended to persuade without regard for truth.

Question 11

Trafficking of women and children

Answer 11

• Often linked to prostitution and sex work.
• Described as a ‘modern form of international slavery’.
• ‘The fastest growing criminal industry in the world - Amnesty.org’

Question 12

Mai (2011)

Answer 12

• Sex workers are often economic migrants. Can lead to a moral panic where all migrant sex worker are presented as trafficked.

Question 13

Super bowl sex trafficking.

Answer 13

• On Jan 15, 2011, there were 135 escort ads on backpage.com. This is a website that posts listings for everything, from furniture to cleaning services and includes an adult section with escort ads.
• According to Traffick911, day after super bowl there were 367 ads.
• 300% increase in sex trafficking.

Question 14

Modern Slavery

Answer 14

• In 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery (Global Slavery Index, 2018)
• On 1st October 2022 - “Ms Braverman has vowed to take domestic action […] stop exploitation.”

Question 15

How much is the HT market worth?

Answer 15

• Estimated at $32b according to ILO, 2005.

Question 16

Day (2008)

Answer 16

• Since sexual offences act 1956, ‘prostitutes’ have been cast as victims of abuse and exploitation of third parties, such as pimps, agents and clients.

Question 17

Jeffreys (2008)

Answer 17

“Prostitution is the epitome of patriarchal, heterosexist commodification of women’s bodies.”

Question 18

Cowan (2012)

Answer 18

“A way of ‘rescuing’ vulnerable women rather than punishing them.”

(women, especially those in vulnerable situations (such as survivors of abuse, trafficking, or economic hardship), should be viewed as individuals in need of care, support, and resources, rather than as criminals or wrongdoers.)

Question 19

Scoular and O’Neill (2007)

Answer 19

“Can also transform feminist campaigns, and concerns about violence against women, into techniques of control.”

(Well meaning efforts to protect women can sometimes be co-opted or used in ways that limit women’s autonomy)

Question 20

UK Case Study - Sanitising Soho

Answer 20

Soho Brothel Raids:
- December 2013 - 200 riot police raid 25 venues to rescue victims of trafficking.
- ‘Victims’ brought out to the street in their underwear and handcuffed on the pavement.
- Media invited to take pictures of the raids.
- 0 trafficking victims found.