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Introduction

This paper by Jarmila Rajas investigates the control of migration and the limitations placed on the human rights of third-country nationals (TCNs) within the European Union. It explores how market veridiction influences the implementation of human rights concerning immigration policies in various EU member states.

Market Veridiction and Immigration Policies

  • Market Veridiction Defined: Market veridiction refers to the process by which the market dictates 'truth', often leading to the disciplining of immigrants’ human rights.

  • Foucauldian Framework: The analysis utilizes a Foucauldian governmentality approach to uncover historical ways in which eugenic rationalities have influenced contemporary immigration policies.

  • Historical Comparison: The paper compares EU immigration policies to eugenic justifications historically used in the USA, demonstrating how notions of social Darwinism and human worth are still relevant today.

Human Rights and Governance

  • Rights as Earned: Rajas argues that access to human rights is framed within the paradigm of quality over equality, wherein rights are perceived as benefits to be earned rather than inherent entitlements.

  • Disciplinary Power: The limiting of human rights is described as a result of disciplinary power, where rights are categorized as 'ungrounded' and 'illimitable' yet can be restricted based on market assessments.

Technological Control in Immigration

  • Technological Mechanisms: The paper discusses how various technologies and policies have emerged to control the immigration process, focusing on the Schengen visa curriculum and the underlying assumptions about 'undesirable' immigrants.

  • Historical Legacy of Eugenics: The historical context of eugenics in the USA shaped certain governmental norms regarding the unfitness of certain immigrants, linking this historical bias with current economic-focused immigration policies.

Economic Assessment of Immigration

  • Wealth as a Determinant: Immigration policies often utilize economic assessments, such as gross national income, to determine visa eligibility and assess immigrants' value concerning their financial standing.

  • Class and Rights: The connection between social standing and the granting of rights illustrates a broader trend of discriminating against poorer immigrants underlies contemporary immigration control practices, mirroring earlier eugenic policies.

Conclusion

Rajas concludes that the regulation of human rights within EU immigration policies is rooted in market logic that views immigrants through a lens of economic value, thus echoing past eugenic rationalities. Contrary to the notion that human rights should be universal and inalienable, they are, in practice, contingent upon market-conditioned metrics of worth.