Who is Deemed Vulnerable in the Governance of Migration? - Unpacking UNHCR’s and IOM’s Policy Label for Being Deserving of Protection and Assistance

Abstract

The legal and policy discourse on migration seems to increasingly rely upon the labelling of particularly vulnerable persons or groups – often seemingly without critical reflection upon the stereotypes and biases potentially involved in such labelling. This article examines the content and meaning of such vulnerability references in the policy documents of UNHCR and IOM. Their policy categories are often consciously or unconsciously reproduced in discussions on the governance of migration. Although this reproduction necessarily means that alternative interpretations are being silenced, the discursive authority of both organizations seems to only rarely be questioned. In focusing on the meaning(s) implied by the vulnerability label employed by both organizations, this article seeks to increase awareness for this process of meaning-making and hopes to contribute to a nuanced and inclusive dialogue in the international governance of migration.

Keywords: Vulnerability, migration governance, International Organization for Migration, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Policy Labels