Desperate passage: violent mobilities and the politics of discomfort

Craig Martin

Journal of Transport Geography, 2011, vol. 19, issue 5, 1046-1052

Abstract: This article addresses the ongoing debates on the politics of migration. In particular it investigates the turbulent mobilities of the ‘desperate passenger’ as a means to position the role of corporeal passage within this debate. It argues that forms of desperate passage differ markedly from other forms of corporeal mobility due to the limitations of choice. Given that undocumented migrants are ‘locked out’ of legitimated mobility networks, alternative forms of movement are often necessitated, in this case the infiltration of non-corporeal networks such as the underside of lorries. These acts of desperate mobility are used to discuss the inherent ‘violence of speed’ as outlined by Paul Virilio (2006a,b). In contrast to the protective, capsularised mobilities of legitimated passengers, it is suggested that the desperate passenger has to enact such violent mobilities in order to reach their destination.

Keywords: Violent mobilities; Paul Virilio; Desperate passenger; Capsularisation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:19:y:2011:i:5:p:1046-1052

DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2011.03.005

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