Reproductive injustice in Britain: punishing illegalized migrant women from the Global South and separating families

TY - JOUR

T1 - Reproductive injustice in Britain: punishing illegalized migrant women from the Global South and separating families

AU - Bhatia, Monish

PY - 2022/10/12

Y1 - 2022/10/12

N2 - This article aims to show how race, gender, class, and other identity markers intersect to oppress, control and discipline poor and illegalized single migrant mothers and pregnant women from the Global South. The article draws on evidence from three ethnographic studies conducted between 2008 and 2017 to shed light on the predicaments of mothers and pregnant women excluded from the welfare safety-net, who were flying under the radar due to the fear of deportation. It shows how (cr)immigration controls render women vulnerable to victimization and harm. The second part of the article addresses imprison- ment and punishment, treatment by the criminal justice system, and separation from children placed in foster care. The evidence strongly suggests that controls in Britain disrupt the core principles of reproductive justice, including repro- ductive autonomy and health, and to parent children in a safe and healthy environment without fear of retaliation from the government. This is being termed as racist-gendered state violence.

AB - This article aims to show how race, gender, class, and other identity markers intersect to oppress, control and discipline poor and illegalized single migrant mothers and pregnant women from the Global South. The article draws on evidence from three ethnographic studies conducted between 2008 and 2017 to shed light on the predicaments of mothers and pregnant women excluded from the welfare safety-net, who were flying under the radar due to the fear of deportation. It shows how (cr)immigration controls render women vulnerable to victimization and harm. The second part of the article addresses imprison- ment and punishment, treatment by the criminal justice system, and separation from children placed in foster care. The evidence strongly suggests that controls in Britain disrupt the core principles of reproductive justice, including repro- ductive autonomy and health, and to parent children in a safe and healthy environment without fear of retaliation from the government. This is being termed as racist-gendered state violence.

KW - criminology

KW - sociology

KW - socio-legal studies

KW - anthropology

KW - migration studies

KW - human geography

U2 - 10.1080/1070289X.2022.2133421

DO - 10.1080/1070289X.2022.2133421

M3 - Article

SN - 1070-289X

JO - Identities-Global studies in culture and power

JF - Identities-Global studies in culture and power

ER -