The language used to talk about migration at Europe's borders has evolved over the last decade.
But how has this shift influenced how legal obligations are interpreted, how rescue responsibilities are understood, and how people on the move are treated?
In this episode of the Migration Oxford podcast:
The language used to talk about migration at Europe's maritime borders has evolved over the last decade, with terms such as 'deterrence', 'facilitation', and 'externalisation' becoming increasingly prominent in migration policy and political debate.
Our guest speakers, a migration policy expert, a leader at an NGO that works to save lives in the Mediterranean Sea, and a former asylum seeker who is now a UK-based researcher, will discuss how this shift in language is influencing how legal obligations are interpreted, how rescue responsibilities are understood, and how people on the move are treated.
With Europe hardening its stance on migration, the panel will also consider the bigger picture.
Who has the most influence over the language used to discuss migration? Do debates over terminology distract from broader structural and systemic issues? And what are the real-world consequences of the words we use, for example, when people seeking protection are described as 'illegal'?
Speakers
Host: Rob McNeil, Deputy Director and Head of Media and Communications at the Migration Observatory
Producer: Kelvin Brown
