Lucy Mayblin Livres

The history of migration is deeply entangled with colonialism. To this day, colonial logics continue to shape the dynamics of migration as well as the responses of states to those arriving at their borders. And yet migration studies has been surprisingly slow to engage with colonial histories in making sense of migratory phenomena today. This book starts from the premise that colonial histories should be central to migration studies and explores what it would mean to really take that seriously. To engage with this task, Lucy Mayblin and Joe Turner argue that scholars need not forge new theories but must learn from and be inspired by the wealth of literature that already exists across the world. Providing a range of inspiring and challenging perspectives on migration, the authors’ aim is to demonstrate what paying attention to colonialism, through using the tools offered by postcolonial, decolonial and related scholarship, can offer those studying international migration today. Offering a vital intervention in the field, this important book asks scholars and students of migration to explore the histories and continuities of colonialism in order to better understand the present.

Focusing on the historical context, this book critiques Western states' responses to asylum seekers by highlighting the influence of colonial histories on contemporary refugee movements. It offers an alternative perspective that challenges existing literature, urging readers to consider how these legacies have shaped modern attitudes and policies toward those seeking asylum.

The book explores the transformation of asylum from a primarily political and humanitarian issue to one viewed mainly through an economic lens. It contends that this shift has resulted in the intentional impoverishment of asylum seekers in the UK by the state. Through this analysis, the author highlights the implications of framing asylum in economic terms and examines the consequences for those seeking refuge.