Understanding Refugee Crises and Global Migration Dynamics
School
University of Toronto, Scarborough**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
GGR A02
Subject
Sociology
Date
Dec 11, 2024
Pages
4
Uploaded by MasterRockGull48
Lecture 8 Refugee CrisesThe Logic of Geographical Thought (University of Toronto)Scan to open on StudocuStudocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or universityLecture 8 Refugee CrisesThe Logic of Geographical Thought (University of Toronto)Scan to open on StudocuStudocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or universityDownloaded by Hussain Raza (mhussainraza72@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|47802611
17 November, 2022 (Tuesday)Global Commodified Food & Labour●Recall: globalized system of industrialized food production and agriculture●Food production / agriculture - moved away from self-sufficient families on farmsrunning small businesses●Recall: TNC’s increase scope and power●Increasingly corporatized and use of waged workers●Labour conditions often hiddenAgricultural Labour and Migration●Our food: labour is global●Canada: majority of farm workers are migrant workers from Mexico and Caribbean●Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program: bi-lateral agreements Canadian government andsending countries○Employment of migrant agricultural workers●Leave families, 8 months per year. Travel out of economic necessity●“permanent transience”Migrant labour concerns: El Contrato●Face exploitation of labour●Complaints: only options are employer, or consulate○Consulate protects relationship with grower○Risk deportation, job loss●Migrants are wanted as laborers & tax payers but not as citizens●Subject to explicit forms of racism and violenceEl Contrato●Demonstrates the cognitive and political distance we have from our food●Tells us about the global character of the food we eat●Provokes us to consider the politics of food and labour○Human rightsAlternative Food Movement●Fair Trade○Alternative agrifood supply chains○Fair wages and business models●Urban Food Production○Decentralized and direct production○Green roofs & community gardens●Food Sovereignty○The right to control food production and consumption outside of the global foodeconomyDownloaded by Hussain Raza (mhussainraza72@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|47802611
17 November, 2022 (Tuesday)○Self reliance and sustainability.○Via Campesina, Brazilian Landless Peasant MovementMigration●A long-distance move to a new location○Immigration, emigration, internal migration, international migration●Rates of international migration and forced migration are at an all-time high●Voluntary migration: the movement by an individual/family based on ‘choice’.○Search for economic/education opportunities○Re-unificationMigration and Refugees●Forced migration: the movement by an individual/family against his/her/their will○Poverty, war, religion○Environmental conditions (climate refugees)●“People moving in the context of a well-founded fear of persecution from reasons of race,religion, nationality, social group or political opinion, or the threat of armed conflict,serious disturbances to public order or serious harm, are generally entitled to some formof refugee or related protected status.” Lindley (2014)●Yet: scale of crisis, racism, right-wing nationalism: many states are no longer upholdingrefugee rights●Many states are no longer upholding refugee rights●Sacco: graphic novel, both sides○local resistance and challenges in Malta, of Maltese○Extreme difficulties faced by migrants/refugees to arrive there, upon arrival, andfor the years to come●Mountz: islands, archipelagos as sites for refugee & migrant processing, because○legal processes more blurry away from national jurisdiction. Who is responsible?Who will get charged for violating human rights?○Islands are away from media coverage, support organizations○Migrants cannot yet claim asylum if they haven’t arrived to mainlandMigration & Global Processes●Crises associated with: global influence of powerful states and corporate interests●Development and underdevelopment, uneven development●Legacies of colonial rule - creating borders upon “decolonization”●Remember - many of us are immigrants, migrantsRecent examples: Refugees, Migration●United States, 2019○family separations at border●Criminal versus non-criminal deportations●Children defending themselves in court●Australia - Manus and Nauru islandsDownloaded by Hussain Raza (mhussainraza72@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|47802611
17 November, 2022 (Tuesday)Recent news: Refugees, Migration●Many countries - Canada, UK, and especially Australia and US○Campaigns against refugees as “terrorists”○the “Other”○while ignoring domestic terror of white supremacy movements●Polanyi’s movement & countermovement●Power as finite: resistance and pushback to equalityConclusion●Profound inequalities exist in why people migrate and under what conditions and legalcircumstances.●Stand in solidarity with refugees and migrants●Support refugee organizations and rightsDownloaded by Hussain Raza (mhussainraza72@gmail.com)lOMoARcPSD|47802611