 “Markets of Dispossessionâ€: How Unaccompanied Minors Navigate Their Criminalization in LebanonLuigi Achilli The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 2023, vol. 709, issue 1, 126-144 Abstract: A widespread narrative in policy and media circles is that criminal organizations’ exploitation of migrants amounts to “modern slavery.†The research presented here argues for a different understanding that includes migrant agency. I examine the interactions of migrants—specifically Syrian unaccompanied minors—within illicit economies in Lebanon. I use the notion of “markets of dispossession†to explain the intricate relationship binding migration policy, migrant agency, and crime formation. The term shows how, rather than stemming from extensive criminal enterprises, the “crime†associated with these economies often emerges from myriad micro-interactions, decisions, and acts of resilience by disenfranchised individuals, like unaccompanied minors, navigating restrictive policies and their subsequent criminalization. I go on to argue that acknowledging the agency of the minor migrants in criminalized systems underscores the importance of addressing the poverty, inequality, and social instability that compel their participation in these markets of dispossession. Keywords: criminalization; agency; markets of dispossession; unaccompanied minors; migration governance; migrant smuggling; human trafficking (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:anname:v:709:y:2023:i:1:p:126-144 DOI: 10.1177/00027162241247756 Access Statistics for this article More articles in The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science |
Is your work missing from RePEc? Here is how to contribute.
Questions or problems? Check the EconPapers FAQ or send mail to .
EconPapers is hosted by the
School of Business at Örebro University.