Women and Immigration Law

New Variations on Classical Feminist Themes

This book examines immigration law from a gender perspective. It shows how immigration law situates gender conflicts outside the national order, projecting them onto non-western countries, exotic cultures, clandestine labour and criminal organizations. In doing so, immigration law sustains the illusion that gender conflicts have moved beyond the pale of European experience. In fact, the classical feminist themes of patriarchy, the gendered division of labour and sexual violence are still being played out at the heart of Europe's societies, involving both citizens and migrants.

This collection of essays demonstrates how the seemingly marginal perspective of immigration law highlights Europe's unresolved gender conflicts and how a gender perspective can help us to rethink immigration law.