Ethico-Political Governmentality of Immigration and Asylum: the Case of Ethiopia
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ETHICO-POLITICAL GOVERNMENTALITY OF IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM: THE CASE OF ETHIOPIA A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY DİLEK KARAL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY SEPTEMBER 2015 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Meliha Altunışık Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Prof. Dr. Ayşe Saktanber Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Assist. Prof. Dr. Çağatay Topal Supervisor Examining Committee Members Prof. Dr. Ayhan Kaya (İstanbul Bilgi Uni.-IR) Prof. Dr. Helga Ida Rittersberger-Tılıç (METU-SOC) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tahire Erman (Bilkent Uni.-POLS) Assist. Prof. Dr. Besim Can Zırh (METU-SOC) Assist. Prof. Dr. Çağatay Topal (METU-SOC) I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last name : Dilek KARAL Signature : iii ABSTRACT ETHICO-POLITICAL GOVERNMENTALITY OF IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM: THE CASE OF ETHIOPIA KARAL, Dilek Ph.D., Department of Sociology Supervisor : Assist. Prof. Dr. Çağatay TOPAL September 2015, 296 pages This dissertation deals with the construction of ethico-political paradigm for immigration and asylum policies in Ethiopia. Studies on governmentality have problematized the construction of ethico-political paradigm in modern day policy making as a means to create responsibilizing, collectivizing and socializing power (Rose, 1999). Ethico-political power aims to shift burden of states and other governmental bodies in welfare provision to individuals and communities especially on problematic issues such as immigration, crime, illness, and security control. This study unearths how discourses and practices of ethico-political paradigm are embedded and reproduced in global immigration and asylum policy propositions iv regarding Ethiopia. The dissertation draws from governmentality studies literature to understand construction of ethico-political discourse and rationalities in global policy documents on immigration and asylum. Analysis covers 38 documents limited to annual reports of three organizations UNHCR, IOM, and European Commission published between 2000 and 2013 and 11 interviews conducted with international organizations’ country offices, local NGOs and undocumented migrants residing in Addis Ababa. Based on content analysis of these documents, this dissertation answers these questions: How is ethico-political paradigm constructed in global policy propositions for Ethiopia? And what are the reflections of ethico-political paradigm in governmentality of immigration and asylum in Ethiopia? The findings of the research reveal that ethico-political paradigm reflects on Ethiopia at differing levels such as positioning the country as “safe third country” of the Global North, strengthening of control over immigrants, increasing dependence on individual and community as a part of neo-liberal policy making. In addition, propositions of a western governmentality paradigm in Ethiopian context creates certain “uncalculated effects” on governmentality of immigration and asylum in Ethiopia affecting the state, migrant communities, and individuals. Keywords: Ethico-political Governmentality, Technologies of Self, Immigration and Asylum Policy, Ethiopia, Horn of Africa. v ÖZ GÖÇ VE SIĞINMANIN ETİKO-POLİTİK YÖNETİMSELLİĞİ: ETİYOPYA ÖRNEĞİ KARAL, Dilek Doktora, Sosyoloji Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi : Yard. Doç. Dr. Çağatay TOPAL Eylül 2015, 296 sayfa Bu tez çalışması Etiyopya göç ve sığınma politikalarına yönelik etiko-politik iktidarın inşasını ele almaktadır. Yönetimsellik çalışmaları, günümüz modern politika yapım süreçlerinde etiko-politik iktidarı sorumluluk yükleyen, kolektif, toplumsallaştıran bir iktidar tipi olarak ele almaktadır. Etiko-politik iktidar, devletin ve diğer yönetimsel organların vatandaşlara refah sağlama sorumluluğunun, özellikle sorunlu addedilen göç, suç, hastalık ve güvenlik gibi alanlarda bireye ve toplumsal gruplara yüklenmesini hedeflemektedir. Bu çalışma etiko-politik iktidarın diskur ve pratiklerinin göç ve sığınma rejiminin Etiyopya’ya yönelik politika önerilerinde yeniden üretiliş biçimlerini ortaya koymaktadır. Bu çalışmada, küresel göç ve sığınma politikalarına dair raporlarda vi etiko-politik iktidarın inşasını anlamak için yönetimsellik çalışmaları literatüründen faydalanılmaktadır. Çalışmanın içerik analizi, Birleşmiş Milletler Mülteciler Yüksek Komiserliği, Uluslararası Göç Örgütü ve Avrupa Komisyonu’nun göç ve sığınma konularında 2000 ve 2013 yılları arasında yayınladığı 38 yıllık raporu kapsamaktadır. Bu raporların yanı sıra çalışmada Etiyopya, Addis Ababa şehrinde yaşayan göçmenler, uluslararası organizasyonların ülke ofisleri ve bir yerel organizasyonla gerçekleştirilen toplam 11 mülakat da analiz edilmiştir. Çalışmada kapsanan rapor ve mülakatların içerik analizi yoluyla şu araştırma sorularının cevaplanması amaçlanmıştır: Etiyopya’ya yönelik küresel politika önerilerinde etiko-politik iktidar nasıl inşa edilmiştir? Etiko- politik paradigmanın Etiyopya’da göç ve sığınma politikalarının yönetimselliği üzerindeki yansımaları nelerdir? Çalışmanın bulguları, etiko-politik iktidarın Etiyopya göç ve sığınma politikalarını farklı düzeylerde etkilediğini ortaya koymaktadır. Etiyopya’ya, Küresel Kuzey’in Güney’deki “güvenli bölgesi” rolünün biçilmesi, neo- liberal politika önerilerinin bir yansıması olarak göçmenler ve göçmen toplulukları üzerinde artan kontrol ve gözetim, bu yansımaların farklı örnekleridir. Ayrıca, Batılı bir yönetimsellik tezinin politika önerileri, Etiyopya’da göç ve sığınmanın yönetimselliği konusunda devlete, göçmen gruplara ve göçmen bireylerin yaşantılarına etki eden bir kısım “öngörülemeyen sonuçlar” ortaya çıkarmaktadır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Etiko-politik Yönetimsellik, Kendilik Teknolojileri, Göç ve Sığınma Politikaları, Etiyopya, Afrika Boynuzu. vii To mom and dad To our migrant roots viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I would like to thank my advisor Assist. Prof. Dr. Çağatay Topal for his encouragement, extensive contribution, and sincere support throughout writing process of this dissertation. My major examining committee members Prof. Dr. Helga Rittersberger-Tılıç and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tahire Erman’s progressive feedbacks and time are also much appreciated. Without their time and support, this dissertation would not be written. I also want to thank my final committee members Prof. Dr. Ayhan Kaya and Assist. Prof. Dr. Besim Can Zırh. Although I met them in the final phase of my dissertation, their reading and contribution was quite noteworthy in finalizing my study. My Ph.D. adventure was alike most of the others it had seen bad days and good days. I lost my beloved ones and I carried their longings with me throughout the process. During the years life around me has changed, I changed. However, my friends’ genuine support around me stayed still and firm. I want to thank my beautiful friends Habibe Özdal, Gülay Mutlu and Melike Eğilmezler-Boylan, who not only lived through all Ph.D. process with me but also been my closest supports during my hard times. I also would like to thank my friends Betül Balkan-Ekşi and Nevin Arvas for their critical readings of my dissertation and discussing my arguments at large. Their contribution and encouragement are precious. Every scientific query starts with a basic drive ‘wonder.’ This study started with me and my husband’s curiosity for alternative lives in other countries. Ethiopia welcomed us. This study is an appreciation for 3 beautiful years I spent in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I appreciate Ethiopia’s unique coffee and welcoming people (ameseginalehu!). I would like to thank my friends from Turkey, the US, the UK, El Salvador, Mauritius, Eritrea, India, Sweden, Denmark, Luxemburg and numerous ix other African countries that made an international life quite local for us in Ethiopia. Thesis writing was supposed to be boring but thanks to you my friends I will always remember it with a smile. I will remember fun, laughter, tears, love and oms and shantis exchanged between us. I also want to thank my parents and my brother that they were there for me every time I needed. My mom was the one who bought me books from local bazaar every week when I was a little girl. And my father was the one who ingrained me courage towards life. I will carry your love and inspiration everywhere I go. I also appreciate my sisterly friends Belgin, Nesli and Seki for their constant belief in me. Lastly, I appreciate my beloved husband Erdem for his enduring love and support in good times and in bad. He believed in me even when I totally lost it. Love makes everything easier. Throughout my study, most of my respondents were Somali migrants – refugees living in Addis Ababa. I sincerely thank their courage and contribution to my dissertation. Their tough experiences worth attention. Overall, this whole dissertation is a humble attempt to make their and other migrants’ voices heard in today’s noisy international debates. x TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGIARISM...........................................................................................................iii