Not-so-subtle subtleties: Undocumented migrant (in)visibility, (im)mobility and Dutch public spaces as sites of embodied racialization

Abstract

We explore the nuances of living while undocumented in the Netherlands, focusing on the processes of (in)visibility and (im)mobility in the public sphere. We conceptualize (in)visibility as dialectical and multilayered, with relational, political, strategic and processual dimensions. (Im)mobility is conceptualized as a resource and is interlinked with (in)visibility. Both concepts are understood to be defined by social relations, which necessitate the analytical centering of ‘race’. In order to investigate the subtleties of undocumented migrants’ public experiences, we examine how racialization is (1) embodied in prejudiced surveillance, (2) experienced by undocumented migrants as racialized individuals, and (3) resisted through the exercise of strategic (in)visibility. We argue that strategic invisibility can result in self-inflicted immobilization due to an amplified perception of risk. Instances of strategic visibility are explored, showing the creation of discursive spaces and informal cooperation between migrant-led collectives and street-level actors. We conclude by stating that asymmetries in visibility create a different urban landscape for undocumented migrants, specifically one that is limited and mined with risks.