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Channel crossings: offshoring asylum and the afterlife of empire in the Dover Strait

Davies, Thom; Isakjee, Arshad; Mayblin, Lucy; Turner, Joe

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Authors

Arshad Isakjee

Lucy Mayblin

Joe Turner



Abstract

In 2020, over 8,400 people made their way from France to the UK coast using small vessels. They did so principally in order to claim asylum in the United Kingdom (UK). Much like in other border-zones, the UK state has portrayed irregular Channel crossings as an invading threat and has deployed a militarized response. While there is burgeoning scholarship focusing on informal migrant camps in the Calais area, there has been little analysis of state responses to irregular Channel crossings. This article begins to address this gap, situating contemporary British responses to irregular Channel crossers within the context of colonial histories and maritime legacies. We focus particularly on the enduring appeal of “the offshore” as a place where undesirable racialized populations can be placed. Our aim is to offer a historicized perspective on this phenomenon which seeks to respond to calls to embed colonial histories in analyses of the present.

Citation

Davies, T., Isakjee, A., Mayblin, L., & Turner, J. (2021). Channel crossings: offshoring asylum and the afterlife of empire in the Dover Strait. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 44(13), 2307-2327. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2021.1925320

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Apr 22, 2021
Online Publication Date May 17, 2021
Publication Date May 17, 2021
Deposit Date Aug 16, 2021
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Ethnic and Racial Studies
Print ISSN 0141-9870
Electronic ISSN 1466-4356
Publisher Informa UK Limited
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 44
Issue 13
Pages 2307-2327
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2021.1925320
Keywords Migration; borders; asylum; Cultural Studies; Sociology and Political Science; Anthropology; Geography
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5558274
Publisher URL https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01419870.2021.1925320

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