Camouflaging borders: relocation, neglect and disciplines of emplacement in Portugal

This article examines the asylum seekers’ relocation scheme laid down in the framework of the European Agenda on Migration, and its implementation in Portugal – a country that has strongly endorsed the initiative since its inception. Portugal’s attitude is certainly commendable when compared to the xenophobic reactions that have occurred in other EU countries. However, the self-promoting narrative of generosity and solidarity reiterated by Portuguese institutions is at odds with the voices of beneficiaries, who recurrently express frustration and criticism. Engaging with their perspective, I show that relocation, beyond the humanitarian rhetoric with which it has been presented in Portugal and elsewhere, is consistent with a broader project of border-making. Drawing inspiration from the scholarship on migration containment, I propose to consider ‘emplacement’ as a further strategy for producing specific forms of life and subjectivity associated to subaltern citizenship.