Discrimination, DNA Testing, and Dispossession: Consequences of U.S. Policy for African Refugees

Esbenshade, Jill

doi:10.1080/10999949.2011.574571

Cited by 4 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…In the 1990s, some host countries began to use DNA analysis to resolve cases in which they considered the information presented on family relationships to be incomplete or unsatisfactory (Esbenshade, 2010; Taitz et al, 2002a, 2002b). Today, at least 20 countries around the world (including 16 European countries) have incorporated parental testing into decision-making on family reunification in immigration cases: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, the UK, and the USA (European Migration Network, 2008, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suspect Families: DNA Kinship Testing in German Immigration Policy

Heinemann

Lemke

2012

Sociology

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Since the 1990s, many countries around the world have begun to use DNA testing to establish biological relatedness in family reunification cases. Family reunification refers to the right of family members living abroad to join relatives who hold long-term residence permits or are citizens of a given country. Using Germany as an exemplary case, the article explores different societal implications and consequences of parental testing for family reunification. Special attention is drawn to the implicit model of family and kinship that informs this immigration regime. We argue that DNA analyses for family reunification establish and strengthen a biological family model which is in contrast to the more pluralistic and social concepts of family in Germany and in many societies in Europe and North America. The argument is based on a document analysis and interviews with representatives of NGOs and immigration authorities, lawyers, geneticists, and applicants for family reunification.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suspect Families: DNA Kinship Testing in German Immigration Policy

Heinemann

Lemke

2012

Sociology

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“…By using large datasets compiled from the US Census and the American Community Survey across multiple years, we can adequately detect possible differences in educational integration by variation in degree of settlement assistance, thus shedding new light on whether and to what degree the provision of such assistance to refugees boosts their children's educational attainment compared to that of their non-refugee counterparts. If our findings reveal higher educational attainment 1 During the Cold-War period, the United States accepted refugees from majority-communist countries while often rejecting the asylum claims of those from other countries, especially from Central America (Esbenshade 2011;Lennox 1993;Menjívar 2006;Motomura 2020;Zolberg 1988). 2 For this reason, we do not include in the refugee category persons who migrated for reasons of disaster or persecution but did not receive protection under US refugee status.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Refugee Status, Settlement Assistance, and the Educational Integration of Migrants’ Children in the United States

Khuu

Bean

2021

International Migration Review

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Initial relations between the host society and migrants are likely to influence whether and to what degree migrants receive tangible and intangible settlement support that might affect their children's educational integration. As part of the 1980 Refugee Act, the United States officially began to provide settlement support to one group of migrants - refugees, thus institutionalizing more favorable host-society relations for refugees compared to non-refugee migrants. This article assesses the general idea that post-1980 US refugees will show higher levels of integration than non-refugees by testing the specific hypothesis that refugees’ foreign-born children will attain (by adulthood) higher levels of educational attainment than their non-refugee counterparts. As expected, we find that more schooling is completed among refugees’ children than among non-refugees’ children, all else being equal. We also observe that the level of governmental support at arrival is positively associated with educational attainment among refugees’ children. As expected, schooling differentials also drop in accordance with arrival-period declines in support due to drops in refugee children's schooling. The results highlight the pivotal roles that initial host-society/migrant relations play in fostering refugee integration and underscore the potential societal benefits from adopting and maintaining settlement policies for migrants.

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“…Fraudulent claims in refugee petitions is a real concern. Reported fraud in U.S. refugee and immigration programs has motivated the requirement of relationship DNA testing to verify claims in family reunification refugee petitions (Esbenshade, 2010 ; Holland, 2011 ; Katsanis & Kim, 2014 ). Migrants can lie about their identities in order to take advantage of a country's protection and resources; however, documented examples of fraud are a small proportion of cases (e.g.…”

Section: Ethical Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 2009, the United Kingdom attempted to pilot an effort to incorporate biogeographic DNA testing and isotope analysis as a proxy for nationality for investigating suspected fraud in the asylum petition process (UK Home Office, 2010 ). In the United States, a 2008 pilot of relationship DNA testing of 3,000 migrants from a variety of African countries found that upwards of 80% of cases were considered potentially fraudulent when families refused to subject to DNA testing (Esbenshade, 2010 ). Whether or not refusal to undergo DNA testing was due to deception, misunderstanding, or fear of providing DNA was not documented (Kim, 2011 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethical considerations for DNA testing as a proxy for nationality

Oray

Katsanis

2021

Global Bioethics

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As nations strengthen borders and restrict refugee admissions, national security officials are screening for fraudulent nationality claims. One tool to investigate nationality claims is DNA testing, either for claimed relationships or for ancestral origins. At the same time, the plight of global statelessness leaves millions without documentation of their nationality, and DNA testing might be the only recourse to provide evidence of heritage or relationships. DNA testing has been used sparsely to date to determine ancestral origin as a proxy for nationality but could increase as border controls tighten. Given the historic lessons in eugenics and the potential for misuse of personal genetic information, it is essential to consider the ethical parameters in order to guide the implementation of genetic data for such purposes. Here, we break down examples of the use of DNA testing for nationality, and the risks and benefits of genetic testing for this purpose. Important ethical considerations discussed include (1) empowerment of stateless individuals with evidence for citizenship proceedings; (2) imprecise correlation between genetic heritage and nationality; (3) effective protection of state interests; and (4) practicalities of DNA testing.

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Discrimination, DNA Testing, and Dispossession: Consequences of U.S. Policy for African Refugees

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Suspect Families: DNA Kinship Testing in German Immigration Policy

Suspect Families: DNA Kinship Testing in German Immigration Policy

Refugee Status, Settlement Assistance, and the Educational Integration of Migrants’ Children in the United States

Ethical considerations for DNA testing as a proxy for nationality

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