Undocumented migrants and experiences of ‘illegality’ through generations

Defining who is a child and who is an undocumented migrant is not straightforward. To ascertain the biological age of an individual is not always an easy task, not least because not everyone has their birth registered or a document to prove it. In the case of migrant children, this is further complicated because of the policy and practice implications that the recognition as a child may carry in terms of rights and entitlements to the migrant, and obligations for local authorities and public services.

Contrary to popular perception, the definition of who is an undocumented migrant is also only apparently unproblematic. There is no single category of undocumented migrant but differing modes of irregular status resulting from the increasing scope and complexity of international migration that has expanded the conceptual and policy vocabulary dealing with processes and patterns of migration. The meaning of ‘illegality’ as well as the experiences of being undocumented are the products of specific immigration policies which, in turn, are embedded in current political debates on national sovereignty and human rights, security and the politics of belonging as well as in broader processes of restructuring of the labour market and welfare system occurring globally.

Within this framework of analysis, proposals are invited which address the impact of legal immigration status across generations within the close or enlarged family and/or in society more broadly. Because of the nature of the research, ethnographic, qualitative and mixed method approaches are especially welcome. The project will be closely linked to work being carried out by Dr Nando Sigona on legal status, rights and belonging – more information: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/social-policy/departments/applied-social-studies/research/projects/2013/precarious-status-migration-governance-and-new-geographies-of-mobility.aspx

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