Postcolonial challenges to migration control: French–Moroccan cooperation practices on forced returns

Abstract

Analyses that develop a postcolonial critique of international relations and security studies have outlined the project of ‘decolonizing’ these disciplines and have underlined the importance of taking into account actors from the South. I seek to do so here through the study of migration policies, in particular by looking for the agency of state actors in so-called countries of origin. This article shows that the study of practices of cooperation is a good strategy for decolonizing the study of international relations. Based upon the example of mid-level cooperation on deportation between France and Morocco, this article focuses on two devices and the practices used for international cooperation on migration controls: the posting of immigration liaison officers and the statistical evaluation of cooperation. This case study shows that such practices open brokering spaces in the transnational security field and allow state actors from the South to challenge the dominance of the North.

Unpacking domestic preferences in the policy-‘receiving’ state: the EU’s migration cooperation with Senegal and Ghana

“…In proceeding, this paper addresses a geographical research gap. While sub-Saharan African countries feature increasingly prominently on the EU's external migration agenda following recently introduced EU policies, frameworks and instruments that target sub-Saharan Africa and the West African region in particular, the bulk of existing literature is on the EU 'neighbourhood' of North Africa (see Cassarino, 2014;De Haas, 2008a;El Qadim, 2014;Paoletti, 2011) and Central/Eastern Europe when assessing the impact of EU external governance in third countries. In the West African context, empirical research on migration governance and policy formulation remains limitedexceptions include Adam, Trauner, Jegen, and Roos (2019); Andersson (2014); Chou and Gibert (2012); Frowd (2018); Trauner and Deimel (2013).…”

The impact of externalized migration governance on Turkey: technocratic migration governance and the production of differentiated legal status

“…As the measures making mobility costlier and riskier for migrants were strengthened, public attention turned to 'border spectacles' as the media depicted large groups in crowded boats, people climbing wired fences and bodies washing onto shore (De Genova, 2015). Research on the immediate effects of border closures reveals that rather than fortresses, border zones have become gates filtering those who are allowed to enter and then who need to be protected and those to be detained and returned (İşleyen, 2018b;Pallister-Wilkins, 2015;Qadim, 2014). Deterrence measures such as removal, detention, and deportation as immediate effects of externalization have been widely criticized for their life threatening consequences.…”

Devised to punish: Policing, detaining and deporting Romanians from France

“…France has set in motion an extensive repressive apparatus of policing, incarceration and deportation of non-citizens (Fassin, 2013;Fischer, 2013;Cimade et al, 2012Cimade et al, , 2017, deportation relying on international cooperation. Various forms of state collaboration have been encouraged via a shift in migration management towards policing, control and surveillance of aliens (Block, 2012;Ellermann, 2008;El Qadim, 2014). 1 One of these political alliances is the Franco-Romanian bilateral police agreement, which allows Romanian police officers to work together with French police agents in the French territory.…”