With over 240 million migrants in the world, including over 65 million forced migrants and refugees, states have turned to draconian measures to stem the flow of irregular migration, including the criminalization of migration itself. Canada, perceived as a nation of immigrants and touted as one of the most generous countries in the world today for its reception of refugees, has not been immune from these practices. This book examines "crimmigration" – the criminalization of migration – from national and comparative perspectives, drawing attention to the increasing use of criminal law measures, public policies, and practices that stigmatize or diminish the rights of forced migrants and refugees within a dominant public discourse that not only stereotypes and criminalizes but marginalizes forced migrants. Leading researchers, legal scholars, and practitioners provide in-depth analyses of theoretical concerns, legal and public policy dimensions, historic migration crises, and the current dynamics and future prospects of crimmigration. The editors situate each chapter within the existing migration literature and outline a way forward for the decriminalization of migration through the vigorous promotion and advancement of human rights. Building on recent legal, policy, academic, and advocacy initiatives, The Criminalization of Migration maps how the predominant trend toward the criminalization of migration in Canada and abroad can be reversed for the benefit of all, especially those forced to migrate for the protection of their inherent human rights and dignity.

Idil Atak is associate professor of criminology at Ryerson University.

Idil Atak's profile page

James C. Simeon is associate professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration at York University.

James C. Simeon's profile page

"While much has been written on crimmigration in various jurisdictions, such literature in the Canadian context remains limited. This collection of essays is impressive and topical, and features a number of prominent scholars and advocates in the field who speak to some of the most recent developments in Canada." Sasha Baglay, University of Ontario Institute of Technology

"Horner makes some interesting parallels to the way that the Irish refugees were treated in the nineteenth century and the way refugees are treated today. In the three major port cities of the Atlantic of his study he shows how authorities attempted to use laws to criminalise the Irish refugees who had entered their jurisdictions, or even attempted to stop them from arriving. Horner's chapter is an excellent illustration of the importance of historical precedent to challenges faced today when it comes to the treatment of refugees." British Journal of Canadian Studies

"The Criminalization of Migration covers a broad range of issues, including the integration of criminal law into immigration control; the criminalization of targeted migrants and refugees in the dominant public discourse; the impact of crimmigration on refugees and other forced migrants; state responses to the migration "crises"; and proposals on migrant assistance and protection. For students of comparative migration studies … the book is particularly useful because it features contextual, in-depth comparative analyses of state responses to the recent "migration crisis" in Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and the United States." Choice