In a world where borders seem blurred by the internet that can transport us anywhere, social media also confronts us with stark reminders of the violence tied to enforcing those borders. Recent reporting from the United States has drawn attention to the actions of ICE, where deportations are carried out by masked border control agents that have included two fatal shootings, and have featured 32 people dying in ICE custody in the past year. 

Who gets to decide who belongs and who is labeled “illegal”?

On March 18th, EPU and Usva are organising an event discussing these topics and more.
Three speakers will unpack the history, politics, and human impact behind immigration control in the United States and Europe. From the legacy of colonialism to the role of institutions like ICE and Frontex, we’ll discuss how these systems operate and what they aim to achieve. 

Dr. Anne Martinez is Assistant Professor of American Political Culture and Theory at the University of Groningen. With her expertise in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands and relations        she will explain more about “illegal” immigrants in reference to the historic and contemporary situation in the United States of America.

Dr. Bastiaan Nugteren is a historian at the UG studying the emergence of border controls and immigration policies in modern colonial contexts. He will present a more broad and general lecture, by connecting the history of colonialism with present-day constructions of (un)desirable immigrants. 

Esme Smithson Swain is an activist and grassroots solidarity worker. She will discuss her work with MiGreat, fighting against the Netherlands’ complicity in brutal border regimes and deportations, and is also the border violence monitoring coordinator with No Name Kitchen.!