If the State Has a Blind Spot, It Also Turns a Blind Eye (Vasanthakumar)*: An Analysis of the Unaddressed and Unintended Consequences of Privatising Migration Control†

Abstract

Following a thorough examination of the State’s policies on migration control, the privatisation of migration control and the subsequent implementation by private actors, this chapter highlights the gap between the policies’ objectives and actual outcome which, inadvertently, led to the creation of blind spots that compromise and evade State control and regulation. This chapter thus provides a comprehensive and analytical view of the most critical blind spots that it believes should be addressed. It engages with both sides of the migration industry to expose the exploitation and mistreatment of vulnerable migrants and the lack of sufficient oversight and transparency. Finally, it explores the lock-in effect phenomenon and private actors’ irreversible involvement in policy-making.