Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article examines the practice of illegal pushbacks at Greece's borders through the lens of 'enemy under-criminalization'. Drawing on field reports, testimonies, and academic analyses, the study identifies three defining characteristics of pushbacks: raw violence, permanent exclusion, and the absence of the law. It argues that, unlike crimmigration, which merges criminal and immigration law, pushbacks operate entirely outside legal frameworks, creating an extra-legal space where unrestrained violence replaces legal procedures, treating irregular border crossers as 'enemies'. The concept of enemy under-criminalization reflects the exclusion of irregular migrants from both physical territory and legal protection, framing them as adversaries to be removed rather than individuals with rights. By situating pushbacks as a punitive strategy beyond crimmigration, this study underscores their implications for justice, accountability, and the integrity of democratic institutions.
Source: Punishment & Society
Author: Filippos Kourakis
Institution: Panteion University
Language: English
Topic: Gender and Women's Rights
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7118308488