Share
In Solidarity - by openDemocracy
Companies are making billions from anti-immigration fears
•
For many years, politicians have sold the public a simple story: The answer to undocumented immigration is a strong, fortified border. This story has a seductive, common-sense reasoning — but it is also wrong.
Decades of research has shown that people determined to move, find a way to move.
And when States respond with border controls, people turn to smugglers to circumvent these controls; and on and on this cycle goes with increasingly militarised borders on the one hand, and increasingly desperate people on the other.
But politicians don’t want to engage with this research, when it is much more politically palatable to spend billions buying shiny technology from private corporations to prop the myth of strong borders.
Our guests today have published research that shows the UK government has spent over 3.5 billion pounds in public money to support a sprawling, almost entirely privatised, apparatus to stop desperately vulnerable people from using small boats to cross the English channel and apply for asylum in the United Kingdom.
Listen in to learn more
This research was part of the collaborative Channel Crossings project who are Dr Arshad Isakjee, Dr Thom Davies and Dr Tesfalem Yemane, Dr Lucy Mayblin and Dr Joe Turner.
We would like to thank Corporate Watch and Tipping Point UK in supporting this work.
Here is a link to the initial report: https://channelcrossings.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/border-security-contracts-briefing.-april-2025.docx-1-1.pdf
To find out more about the border security economy see here https://corporatewatch.org/category/companies/ and here https://www.tni.org/en/publication/financing-border-wars
—
In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. It’s hosted by openDemocracy editor-in-chief Aman Sethi, an award-winning journalist and author of A Free Man. Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.
Credits:
Presented by Aman Sethi
Edited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla Abreu
Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela
00:00 Introduction
03:30 The manufactured border crisis
06:30 How to understand borders
11:20 The economic migrant 'myth'
15:09 The Borders industrial complex
18:08 Technological underpinnings
22:20 Investigating surveillance contracts
25:09 Companies profiting from war and refugees
28:25 We're all complicit
More episodes
View all episodes
Democracy from the ashes: Inside the Your Party conference
20:48|Waring factions have dominated the headlines, but inside the Your Party conference the embers of hope for a different kind of politics were still burning. Investigative reporter Ethan Shone tells what the mood was like among the party members following months of public spats and PR disasters. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by James BattershillAudio engineering by James BattershillTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—End Times: What Post-Socialist Societies Teach Us About Today
27:40|We’ve normalised the idea that the world is ending, that society is tearing itself apart, that our countries — wherever we live — are falling apart. But what does that really look like? What does it feel like? What emerges in the aftermath?In this episode host Aman Sethi speaks to Renata Salecl, a Slovenian philosopher, sociologist and political theorist to decode how the experiences of post-socialist countries can help us understand the crisis gripping the West.A Passion For Ignorance - https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9780691240992The Spoils of Freedom - https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9780415073585On Anxiety - https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9780415312769The Tyranny of Choice - https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9781846681868https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by Aman SethiStory production by Ayodeji RotinwaAudio engineering by James BattershillTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—Chapters:00:00 Introduction02:30 Post socialist societies07:22 The modern respect for cunning08:45 Lessons from pop culture10:16 The (mis)use of fake news13:53 On accelerationism16:11 The dissolution of societies18:53 Times when nothing and everything changes20:50 Those that enjoy life the wrong way22:24 Neoliberal collapseAbortion decriminalisation now
28:03|Earlier this year, Labour overwhelmingly voted in favour of an amendment that would end the criminalisation of women and pregnant people seeking abortions outside the 1967 Abortion Act exemptions. As the debate went through the Lords, we sat down with MSI Reproductive Choices’ Louise McCudden to discuss why we need decriminalisation now - and what this win means amid a global backlash against abortion rights. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by Sian NorrisStory production by Ayodeji RotinwaAudio engineering by James BattershillTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:07 What is the current legal state of abortion across the UK?05:13 The women being imprisoned for abortion10:16 The late-term abortion argument13:10 Imported tactics from the US16:21 The case for optimism19:02 Anti-abortion's international bankroll23:17 The future of the pro-abortion movementLabour puts capital over consumers
17:57|What can we learn about the future of consumer rights from the merger between Microsoft and Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard?When Labour came into power in 2024, they accused regulators like Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) of inhibiting growth and appointed influential figures from the business world into key positions and advisory roles. This includes a former Amazon boss being made the head of the CMA, or as one lawyer observed “A monopolist had been appointed to lead the anti-monopoly watchdog”.In today’s episode Ethan Shone tells us what we can expect from a government that has put growth and prosperity for business ahead of the rights of everyday consumers. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by James BattershillStory production by Ayodeji RotinwaAudio engineering by James BattershillSpecial thanks to Indra WarnesTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—Chapters:00:00 Introduction02:28 Why do regulatory bodies matter?04:35 Who is influencing the CMA now?07:25 Why are Labour taking this 'anti-consumer' approach?10:15 Who should we be paying attention to?14:09 What can we expect from Labour based on this trajectory?Now that we have to say 'genocide'
34:56|Did Western media manufacture consent for Israel's ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza?In the last two years since Hamas' attack on Israel, and the latter's bombardment of the territories of Palestine it partially occupies, mainstream media particularly in the U.S. and Europe have broken their own rules of fairness, accuracy, conflict of interest, objectivity and so-called "neutrality" in their coverage of Israel's actions. They have often repeated the Israeli government's statements as fact without critical context or analysis; for example the fact that Israel was considered to be imposing apartheid on Palestinians long before October 7th. They have underreported or omitted major events from coverage including attacks on aid flotilla for Palestinians or Israeli declarations of intent to commit genocide. In some cases it has been discovered that some news organisations hired former soldiers of Israeli Defence Forces, as reporters without disclosing this affiliation to their audience. Lila Hassan, an independent investigative journalist and educator who has worked closely with many outlets in the West in the last two years and prior - and has seen the media's role in shaping this conflict firsthand, joins us today to discuss how we got here and the real world harms of the media failing at delivering the one sacred thing required of journalists: the truth. Follow Lila:https://www.instagram.com/bylilahassan/https://lila-hassan.com/—https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by Ayodeji RotinwaEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji RotinwaTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward AbelaClips from Boston Globe, Al Jazeera, SJS news—Chapters:00:00 Introduction05:45 We MUST say genocide07:06 The tipping point11:25 The forbidden words14:44 Societal understanding vs Journalism20:02 The perception of language23:28 Western media betrays itself27:30 Conflicts of interest in reporting31:12 Misrepresentation from the mediaSri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal: Is This A South Asia Spring?
26:41|In early September, Nepal witnessed massive protests under the banner of GenZ protests to demonstrate against what they viewed as a hopelessly corrupt and sclerotic regime. The immediate trigger was a government ban on social media apps, but as the protestors themselves have made clear – their grievances run much deeper. The protests in Nepal bear parallels to similar uprisings in Sri Lanka in 2022 and Bangladesh last year. On this episode, journalists Roman Gautam and Aman Sethi discuss if we are witnessing a South Asian version of the Arab Spring.http://www.himalmag.com—https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:56 A week after revolution06:38 How widespread were the protests?07:55 The South Asian spring12:40 Discord democracy18:56 Respect for elders23:42 What's next for Nepal?Worse Than Trump: India is Deporting Its Own People
24:52|The world is rightly horrified by how US President Trump is deporting people, including minors, without due process. Something similar is underway in India, but worse and under the radar. Even since the border skirmishes between India and Pakistan this year, Indian authorities have been rounding up Muslim citizens and deporting them on the spurious grounds that they either Pakistani or Bangladeshi infiltrators.Abhishek Saha is an Indian journalist and author of No Land's People. He joins us on the show to discuss the devastating impact of India's forced deportations.Read No Land's People: https://harpercollins.co.in/product/no-lands-people/—https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:44 What's happening in India?05:02 Why Bangladesh?07:05 The global pushback against migration12:39 Punishing inherited people14:42 Who determines what people are 'undesirable'17:50 Identifying outsiders21:48 Abusing bureaucracyWhat has Labour done for women?
34:23|As Labour marked a year in government, Fawcett Society's Penny East asks: what has Labour done for women? And what needs to happen next? —https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by Sian NorrisEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—00:00 Introduction01:50 The positive impacts of the Labour government04:38 Third party sexual harassment and the so-called 'Banter ban'07:35 The online backlash against feminism09:10 Decriminalisation of abortion10:05 Unfulfilled promises12:28 Traumatic failures around maternity care14:30 Labour's attitudes towards poverty and welfare16:56 Financial vulnerability and abuse19:03 Halving violence against women and girls22:09 The online safety bill25:39 Legislation is lagging behind31:55 What does solidarity mean to you?Planet Patriarchy
25:18|Patriarchy refuses to die. In every country of the world, women are oppressed by male violence, patriarchal religions, and ideas of the family. But women are resisting, as Rahila Gupta explains, in a fascinating analysis that takes us from Riyadh and Russia, to Rojava. Buy Planet Patriarchy: Global Tales of Feminism and Oppression: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9781805262879—https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by Sian NorrisEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—Chapters:00:00 Introduction02:30 Why write Planet Patriarchy now?03:37 The violence of patriarchy09:47 Family can be a form of violence11:32 The women-led revolution in Rojava16:56 The privilege of non-violence21:07 Rojava's fragile future22:31 What does solidarity mean to you?