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Undesirable but Unremovable Migrants: War Criminals, Terrorists and Foreign Offenders in Limbo

New Arrival Undesirable but Unremovable Migrants: War Criminals, Terrorists and Foreign Offenders in Limbo

Undesirable but Unremovable Migrants: War Criminals, Terrorists and Foreign Offenders in Limbo

Author: Joris Van Wijk; Maarten Bolhuis
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 9781041131892

Published In: March 2026
Format: Hardback
Jurisdiction: U.K. ? Disclaimer:
Countri(es) stated herein are used as reference only

List Price: HKD 2,015.00

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Description
Contents

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Across the globe, tens of thousands of alleged ‘criminal’ migrants find themselves trapped in limbo. They are unwanted in the countries hosting them but cannot be deported because they are stateless, because human rights law or lack of political will prevents it, or because they themselves do not cooperate. These individuals – referred to as Undesirable But Unremovable migrants (UBUs) – include former World War II concentration camp guards, minor drug traffickers, rapists, acquitted genocidaires, and children of alleged terrorists. Their continued presence in host countries often sparks intense political debate, complex legal proceedings, and public controversy. In some cases, they are passed back and forth between multiple countries.

Taking a historical and global perspective, this book traces the emergence of UBUs, shows how their numbers have increased dramatically over time, and reveals the persistent inability of states to develop coherent policy responses. This failure has led to politically charged environments in host countries and profound challenges for the migrants themselves.

The book benefits anyone engaged in the study, development, or implementation of governmental policies concerning migrants accused of being involved in crime.

Introduction

Part I. The world’s first Undesirable But Unremovable migrants

1. Expulsion and asylum, from meerkats to the Middle Ages

2. Rise of the nation-state

3. Faced with undeportable anarchists, communists and criminals

4. Wartime emergency laws and the internment of ‘enemy aliens’

5. Taking stock of Part I

Part II. UBUs in a globalizing world

6. Changing political landscapes: An American hijacker in a French town

7. Crimmigration, securitisation and human rights protection: A Cuban petty criminal in a Florida cell

8. Post-9/11: A Tunisian man dying in a Kazakh town

9. ‘All because of human rights:’ A Jamaican killer in a London apartment