Living on the margins: Migration, illegality, identity negotiation and ethical conflict in amnesty

This study examines the difficult lives of undocumented migrants who live on the edges of society in host countries. It explores how migration, the label of ‘illegality,’ the need to manage personal identity, and ethical issues related to amnesty programs affect their daily experiences. Based on qualitative research, including detailed interviews and observations with irregular migrants in cities, the paper shows how laws that define people as ‘illegal’ create ongoing exclusion, vulnerability, and fear of deportation. Undocumented migrants live in uncertain spaces where they must constantly adjust their identities. They hide certain aspects of themselves while revealing others to find work, access healthcare, or build social connections. A key focus is the ethical challenges of amnesty programs. These initiatives offer a path to legal status but also create divisions based on who is seen as ‘deserving.’ Amnesty policies often balance humanitarian goals with strict enforcement, which can stigmatise irregularity and favour certain migrants over others. The paper argues that these issues reveal deeper contradictions in liberal democracies: systems that produce illegality to meet labour demands while denying rights, and this creates moral dilemmas for policymakers, advocates, and migrants.