ABSTRACT
In discussions on migration, a basic distinction is often made between ‘voluntary’ and ‘forced’ migrants. Economic migrants are frequently assumed to be people ‘choosing’ to improve their situation, while forced migrants are constructed as victims of ‘political’ persecution. This distinction underpins migration policy where the two categories (voluntary economic versus forced political) are treated as separate and mutually exclusive categories. However, according to the UNHCR:
[Migrants travel] together generally in an irregular manner, using the same routes and means of transport, but for different reasons. Persons travelling as part of mixed movements have varying needs and profiles and may include asylum-seekers, refugees, traff icked persons, unaccompanied/separated children, and migrants in an irregular situation.
