Undocumented migrants in Brussels
Diversity and the anthropology of illegality
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3659633 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Johan Leman |
| Year | 1997 |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 25-41 |
| Publication date | 1997-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | New Community (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0047-9586 • E-ISSN: 1469-9451 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/1369183x.1997.9976573 |
| OpenAlex | W1996330009 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 10 |
| References cited | 6 |
This article reveals undocumented migrants to be highly heterogeneous in terms of their origins, the way in which they enter the country, their work and the structure of their family life. This is demonstrated by examining the situation in Brussels in the first half of the 1990s. A distinction is drawn between forms of 'migrant residence illegality' and 'migrant employment illegality'. The context is set with the help of a brief outline of the situation in the regions of origin of four important groups of 'illegal workers' - North-East Poland, Medellin (Columbia), the Philippines and Nigeria. The concrete experiences and structures of day-to-day life in clandestine circles in Brussels are then described, including the orientation towards work, money and the employer-employee relationship, the absence of host country administration and housing and leisure. The quest for an anthropological rationale - an anthropology of illegality in the case of 'migrant employment illegals' - leads to the mediating role played by the established churches. These are shown not only to be institutions of social reception but also - and in certain cases above all - the guardians of ethnic and community self-esteem. The cult of the ethno-religious gives substance to a homeland that has never really been left behind and reinforces the distance between the undocumented migrants and the host country
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| Unique citing works | 10 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,37 |
| Citation span | 1999 - 2023 (25) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 8 |