Europe’s approach to migration from the Global South reproduces global hierarchies that deny Black and Brown people equal access to opportunities and participation. Its migration policies are not just ‘shaped by racism’ – they are racism.
In categorising almost all African migrants as ‘irregular’, Europe legalises, endorses and enables their exposure to extreme forms of violence en route. This is contemporary racial terror meant to deter migrants not only from physical movement but from having aspirations to improve their lives in the first place.
To ‘manage’ mobility from Africa, European governments and the EU collaborate with a range of actors in different sectors, including humanitarian assistance, defence and knowledge production. They want more border control to prevent “dangerous journeys”; more opportunities in countries of origin “so that people do not feel the need to risk their lives”; and, ostensibly, more legal alternatives to come to Europe.
