King's College London

Authored by Dr Matilde Rosina, The Criminalisation of Irregular Migration in Europe investigates the meaning, purpose, and consequences for governments and nations of criminalising unauthorised entry and stay.

The book is published by Palgrave Macmillan and seeks to add to the debate on the persistence of irregular migration, despite governments’ attempts at deterring it, by taking an interdisciplinary approach that draws from international political economy and criminology.

Dr Rosina, a visiting lecturer with the Department of European and International Studies, said: “Using Italy and France as case studies, and relying on previously unreleased data and interviews, the book argues that criminalisation has no effect on migratory flows, and that this is due to factors including the latter’s structural determinants and the likely creation of substitution effects.

“Furthermore, criminalisation is found to lead to adverse consequences, including by contributing to vicious cycles of irregularity and insecurity.”

You can find out more about the book here.