Taking stock of Part I

This chapter takes stock of what was discussed in Part I of this book. It argues that, throughout history, the notion of ‘undesirability’ - despite its vagueness and broad applicability - has consistently served as a justification for the removal of unwanted individuals. From the 17th century onward, the practice and meaning of banishment gradually changed. With the rise of the nation-state, the expulsion of undesirables was no longer a sanction applied to ‘Us’ but rather to ‘the Other.’ The chapter concludes that many of the policy responses developed in earlier times to address the issue of undesirable but unremovable migrants remain in use today. This includes ongoing debates about the legality and ethics of indefinite detention, as well as proposals to ‘outsource’ the problem to other countries, or to ban undesirable but unremovable migrants to islands.