Refugees in a Global Era

Markfleet’s 2006 book Refugees in a Global Era is still a goldmine for understanding the current refugee situation, which is increasingly framed by right-wing politics in the Global North as a ‘migration crisis.’ By diving into Markfleet’s work, we quickly unravel deeper root issues that are often even caused by the Global North, leading to movements toward refugeehood and disaster in the Global South. This is driven by the global economic system, where the hunt for open markets creates purposely weak economic and financial bases in Global South countries. These economic ties then affect social and environmental degradation more widely, which in turn facilitates urges toward migration. Markfleet correctly identifies the role of the financial institution IMF within this context: “who for years worked closely with the architects of neoliberal reform, also believes that there is a clear pattern, arguing that the IMF imposes models likely to stimulate both local crises and systemic problems at a global level” (p. 54).

This article was published in Turkish Journal of African Studies, Volume: 1 Issue: 1, 2024

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