"Terrorists at the Gates"? Irregular Migrants and Discourses of Danger

Titolo Rivista MONDI MIGRANTI
Autori/Curatori Nadya Bernadette Jaworsky
Anno di pubblicazione 2015 Fascicolo 2015/1
Lingua Inglese Numero pagine 31 P. 239-269 Dimensione file 184 KB
DOI 10.3280/MM2015-001012
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Exclusionary, evasive and xenophobic immigration policies echo a common public discourse about the 'dark side' of migration - its association with danger and terror. Portraying irregular migrants as potential terrorists creates a powerful narrative that taps into a polity’s primordial fears and fosters social, political, and cultural exclusion of foreign-born Others - leading to an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among immigrant communities. This study aims at understanding these ‘discourses of danger’ and the ways in which irregular migrants respond. First, we look at how the association of migration and ‘terror’ is articulated - what genres are used, by whom and for what purposes. We then explore how irregular migrants and their advocacy groups cope with the increasingly pervasive portrayal of migrants as dangerous, unwelcome Others. How do they frame and construct claims for social and political acceptance? What are the survival strategies in response to the growing incidence of physical and symbolic violence against immigrants? Through a qualitative analysis, we elaborate patterns that ‘connect the dots’ - between migration and terror, state and society, and inclusion and exclusion within the nation state.

Politiche di immigrazione di esclusione, evasive e xenofobe creano un discorso pubblico comune basato sul ‘lato oscuro’ dell’immigrazione e la sua associazione con l’idea di pericolo e terrore. Ritrarre gli immigrati irregolari come potenziali terroristi ha un forte potere evocativo che attinge alle paure primordiali del sistema politico e favorisce l’esclusione sociale, politica e culturale degli stranieri e porta ad un clima di paura e insicurezza tra le comunità di immigrati. Questo studio mira a comprendere questi ‘discorsi di pericolo’ e il modo in cui i migranti irregolari rispondono. In primo luogo, si guarda come l'associazione di migrazione e 'terrorismo' è articolata, quali generi sono utilizzati, da chi e per quali scopi. In seguito si analizza come i migranti irregolari e i loro gruppi di pressione affrontano la rappresentazione sempre più pervasiva di migranti come pericolosi o indesiderati. Come si posizionarno e come costruiscono le richieste di accettazione sociale e politica? Quali sono le strategie di sopravvivenza in risposta alla crescente incidenza della violenza fisica e simbolica contro gli immigrati? Attraverso un'analisi qualitativa, si elaborano modelli che collegano i concetti di: migrazione e terrore; Stato e società; inclusione ed esclusione all'interno dello Stato nazione.

Keywords:Migrazione e terrore; Stato e società; 'inclusione ed esclusione; lato oscuro dell’ immigrazione.

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Nadya Bernadette Jaworsky, "Terrorists at the Gates"? Irregular Migrants and Discourses of Danger in "MONDI MIGRANTI" 1/2015, pp 239-269, DOI: 10.3280/MM2015-001012