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Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions- For policymakers
- United Kingdom
- Brief created: 2021
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Who is entitled to feel in the age of populism? Women’s resistance to migrant detention in Britain
Brief about:
Journal Article (2021)
Written by:
Other researchers:
My research is on how immigration policies in Britain impact migrants psychologically and emotionally, and what kind of policies can be formulated to ensure their perspective on British society remain positive.
This research looks at the role of emotions in the age of populist politics, and we asked the questions: Whose emotions are prioritised and whose emotions are marginalised and silenced? This is important as whose emotions are considered to matter in politics is closely related to whose security matters.
This research takes the case of detention Britain. While detention has become a common practice in the past twenty years, there are no tangible benefits and it is very expensive. Additionally, detention has faced a lot of criticism and most of the detainees are actually released back into society – so it appears there is no reason. Within this context, this research asks therefore this research questions why the British government are continuing this practice? There is no rational reason.
Key findings
- This research argues that detention is a performance.What it means
The government use it as a tool to help ease the fears and anxieties of anti-immigrant and populist feelings - meaning the government are prioritising the emotions and security of anti-immigration groups over detainees, and at the expense of the detainees security.
- This research shows the human cost of this inefficient policy.What it means
It found that by marginalising the detainees emotions and making them endure the detention experience, any positive perception of Britain is completely shattered.
Proposed action
- Alternative models to detention include community-based monitoring systems and technology-based monitoring systems, which use the tax payers money more efficiently
NGOs have outlined many good alternatives that need to be taken seriously.
- Begin phasing out detention, and during this phase they need to make sure that the detainees are not subjected to gendered and racial abuse
They can be protected by first training the people working at detention centres need to be trained.
- If detention should remain, then it needs to be nationalised
Currently detention centres are being ran by private contractors. If it is nationalised, then government control will be increased and economic incentives to detain people are removed.
- Instead of detention being a regular standard policy, it needs to instead be the last resort
Other policies should be used first. Use a phasing approach.
- More effort must be made to maintain a good relationship between the immigrant and society (most easily achieved by prioritising alternative models)
But as an example, during detention no time limits are provided to detainees, and people released from detention receive no support (other than from charities) or any explanation to why they were detained. This causes a big emotional toll. Detention without time limits, explanations, or support leave people in a vacuum. They do not understand what happened and are left wondering where the justice is - this makes detention a very problematic policy.
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Who is entitled to feel in the age of populism? Women’s resistance to migrant detention in Britain
Cite this brief: Bilgic, Ali. 'Who is entitled to feel in the age of populism? Women’s resistance to migrant detention in Britain'. Acume. https://www.acume.org/r/who-is-entitled-to-feel-in-the-age-of-populism-womens-resistance-to-migrant-detention-in-britain/
Brief created by: Professor Ali Bilgic | Year brief made: 2021
Original research:
- A. G., & Bilgic, A., ‘Who is entitled to feel in the age of populism? Women’s resistance to migrant detention in Britain’ 97(2) (pp. 483–502) https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiaa054. – https://academic.oup.com/ia/article/97/2/483/5912436
Research brief:
My research is on how immigration policies in Britain impact migrants psychologically and emotionally, and what kind of policies can be formulated to ensure their perspective on British society remain positive.
This research looks at the role of emotions in the age of populist politics, and we asked the questions: Whose emotions are prioritised and whose emotions are marginalised and silenced? This is important as whose emotions are considered to matter in politics is closely related to whose security matters.
This research takes the case of detention Britain. While detention has become a common practice in the past twenty years, there are no tangible benefits and it is very expensive. Additionally, detention has faced a lot of criticism and most of the detainees are actually released back into society – so it appears there is no reason. Within this context, this research asks therefore this research questions why the British government are continuing this practice? There is no rational reason.
Findings:
This research argues that detention is a performance.
The government use it as a tool to help ease the fears and anxieties of anti-immigrant and populist feelings – meaning the government are prioritising the emotions and security of anti-immigration groups over detainees, and at the expense of the detainees security.
This research shows the human cost of this inefficient policy.
It found that by marginalising the detainees emotions and making them endure the detention experience, any positive perception of Britain is completely shattered.
Advice:
Alternative models to detention include community-based monitoring systems and technology-based monitoring systems, which use the tax payers money more efficiently
- NGOs have outlined many good alternatives that need to be taken seriously.
Begin phasing out detention, and during this phase they need to make sure that the detainees are not subjected to gendered and racial abuse
- They can be protected by first training the people working at detention centres need to be trained.
If detention should remain, then it needs to be nationalised
- Currently detention centres are being ran by private contractors. If it is nationalised, then government control will be increased and economic incentives to detain people are removed.
Instead of detention being a regular standard policy, it needs to instead be the last resort
- Other policies should be used first. Use a phasing approach.
More effort must be made to maintain a good relationship between the immigrant and society (most easily achieved by prioritising alternative models)
- But as an example, during detention no time limits are provided to detainees, and people released from detention receive no support (other than from charities) or any explanation to why they were detained. This causes a big emotional toll. Detention without time limits, explanations, or support leave people in a vacuum. They do not understand what happened and are left wondering where the justice is – this makes detention a very problematic policy.