Whisper down, up and between the lanes – Exclusionary policies and their limits of control in times of irregularized migration

Abstract

Geographical limitation, ostracism and deportation are defined as state practices that try to handle the unwanted arrival and stay of irregularized migrants in Europe. However, the enforcement of ever‐more restrictive policies in order to regain control over a mobile population is limited by several factors, which at times restrict the state. These limits not only derive from the agency of individuals excluded by the state, but also because of the inherent attributes of the state itself. The inhibiting mechanisms studied, including discretionary practices, often neglect the crucial role played by communication in understanding the contestation of policy implementation. This work discusses how the phenomenon of ‘whispering down, up and between the lanes’ challenges policies and legal outcomes. It tries to explain why state practices often appear to be illegible, not only to the outsider but also to the bureaucrat, with the help of ethnographic research in European migration enforcement agencies.