Asylum seeking and the global city are two major contemporary subjects of analysis to emerge both in the literature and in public and official discourses on human rights, urban socioeconomic change and national security. Based on extensive, original ethnographic research, this book examines the situation of asylum seekers in Hong Kong and offers a narrative of their experiences related to internal and external borders, the performance of border crossing and asylum politics in the context of the global city. Hong Kong is a city with no comprehensive legislation covering refugee claims and official and public opinion is dominated by the view that the city would be flooded with illegal economic migrants were policy changes to be implemented. This book considers why Hong Kong has become a destination for asylum seekers, how asylum seekers integrate into local and global economic markets and why the illegalization of asylum seekers plays a significant role in the processes of global city formation. This book will be essential reading for academics and students involved in the study of migration; globalization and borders; research methods in criminology; social problems and urban sociology.

Asylum seeking and the global city are two major contemporary subjects of analysis to emerge both in the literature and in public and official discourses on human rights, urban socioeconomic change and national security. Based on extensive, original ethnographic research, this book examines the situation of asylum seekers in Hong Kong and offers a narrative of their experiences related to internal and external borders, the performance of border crossing and asylum politics in the context of the global city. Hong Kong is a city with no comprehensive legislation covering refugee claims and official and public opinion is dominated by the view that the city would be flooded with illegal economic migrants were policy changes to be implemented. This book considers why Hong Kong has become a destination for asylum seekers, how asylum seekers integrate into local and global economic markets and why the illegalization of asylum seekers plays a significant role in the processes of global city formation. This book will be essential reading for academics and students involved in the study of migration; globalization and borders; research methods in criminology; social problems and urban sociology.

Where should they go? 70 million displaced refugees and asylum seekers with no passport, no money, and no worldly goods. In 380 B.C. Plato wrote about the "Ideal City," but it wasn't until 1516 AD that Sir Thomas More invented the word, "Utopia," translated from Greek as "good place," that is in need of a new, contemporary interpretation. It is within the framework of utopia that the City of Refugees represents a place that transcends the fate of the refugee and the reason they were torn from their homeland and not given safe haven fleeing their country. It is a concept for a new city that welcomes these optimistic people looking for a place to be free from oppression. The City of Refugees is a soft place to land that believes in the future. The University of Houston College of Architecture + Design with 135 students is proposing four cities on four continents as prototypes that represent a real Utopia for housing the unprecedented migration of people moving across borders. This UN-sponsored, free economic zone for the four cities can be funded by small fractions of the defense budgets appropriated by the UN. The innovative cities create a platform for a new, multi-ethnic society based upon justice, tolerance, and economically viable with a net zero energy consumption within a sustainable environment. The new three-dimensional cities redefine the concept of streets by no longer needing cars creating a real utopia for those with no voice.

This book is an interdisciplinary attempt to understand the contemporaneous human condition of asylum seekers through analysis of their entrapment and the resultant new forms of resistance that have emerged to combat it. Based on qualitative research data, the chapters support the claim that asylum seekers are entrapped in social, legal and economic precariousness amidst the complex relationship between individual agency and social structure. By exploring the practices and lived experiences of asylum seekers and other parties involved in their migration and reception, the authors explore the structural and individual agency factors that entrap asylum seekers in precarious livelihoods and lead to marginalization and social exclusion. A bold and timely study, this edited collection will be essential reading for academics and students of criminology, sociology, anthropology, urban studies and social policy.

Dive into the intricate and globally significant topic of asylum and refugees with the "Global Atlas of Refugees and Asylum Seekers." This compelling collection of essays, curated by a diverse group of renowned scholars, offers an extensive exploration of migration patterns, paradigms, and lessons from around the world. As you journey through the chapters, you'll gain unique insights into how countries have responded to the unprecedented refugee crisis, examining notable cases such as Costa Rica, the United States, Canada, Chile, Mexico, and many more. Discover the complexities of asylum systems and the changing landscapes of migration policies in nations as diverse as Bulgaria, Italy, Germany, Greece, Sweden, Spain, and North Macedonia. Delve into the geopolitical implications of seeking refuge and asylum, with a comprehensive analysis of the Palestinian diaspora and an exploration of Pakistan, India, Turkey, and the communitarian-based strategy in refugee laws. This essential compendium provides a comprehensive understanding of the intricate dynamics and global challenges surrounding asylum and refugees. With its diverse range of topics and expert contributors, the "Global Atlas of Refugees and Asylum Seekers" is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the complexities of global migration and the policies that shape the lives of those seeking refuge. "The authors of this book identify two main paradigms shaping states’ narratives regarding asylum seekers and refugees. Along the horizontal axis, discourses range from national security to humanitarian aid. On the vertical axis, they extend from the pursuit of ideals, as traditionally defined for refugees and asylum seekers, to personal survival due to economic, climate-related crises, family violence, gender violence, or organized crime. This shift, as highlighted in the chapter on Germany by Professor Knerr, is altering the original vision of agreements that stemmed from post-World War II Europe."

Living on the margins offers a unique insight into the working lives of undocumented (or ‘irregular’) migrants living in London, and their employers. It offers an international context to the research and provides theoretical, policy and empirical analyses.