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
Iran, Oil, Inflation, Unrest: The Global Fallout of the US-Israeli War in the Gulf
26:38|As the US-Israeli war on Iran continues to escalate, the effects of the conflict are spiralling outwards across a world already whiplashed by cross-border violence, global tariffs, and the unravelling of regional alliances.There is much that we do not know: How will spiking energy prices affect developing economies in Asia and Africa? What are the long term impacts of the destabilisation of the Gulf, a region that has long served as a magnet for labour and capital from around the world? What does the conflict in Iran reveal about the latest chapter in the relationship between international finance capital and nation states?To talk through these questions, I interviewed analyst and columnist Mihir Sharma. Sharma is a principal research fellow at IPPR, and has been a Bloomberg Opinion columnist on global economics and politics for over a decade.The "Danish Model" of Asylum Explained: Cruelty by Design?
24:20|Why are British and European politicians obsessed with Denmark's immigration strategy? We uncover the dark reality of the "Danish Model" and how it punishes asylum seekers by design.Politicians across Europe - including the UK government - increasingly point to the so-called "Danish Model" as the ultimate solution for controlling borders, immigration, and asylum. But beyond the political talking points, what does this model actually look like on the ground?In this episode of In Solidarity, host Aman Sethi sits down with Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen, the first-ever Danish Professor in Migration and Mobility Law. They break down the harsh reality of "indirect deterrence," how Europe's most liberal border became its strictest, and the secret history of the modern passport.Finally, they unpack the recent push by the UK and Denmark to bypass the European Court of Human Rights, and what that means for the future of global mobility. If you want to understand the reality behind the political rhetoric on border control, this is your essential briefing.Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen is the director of MOBILE, the Danish National Research Foundation's Center of Excellence on Global Mobility Law.👉 Stay informed. Sign up for the openDemocracy newsletter: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/ ✊ Support our work. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. We rely on listeners like you to keep our independent journalism free. Donate today: https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Chapters: 00:00 The Cruelty of the "Danish Model" 01:59 What Actually is the Danish Asylum Strategy? 05:39 Does "Indirect Deterrence" Actually Stop Migration? 07:16 The Human Cost: Punishing Migrants to Send a Message 14:18 The Secret History of the Modern Passport 19:00 The UK and Denmark's Plot Against Human Rights LawCredits:Presented by Aman SethiAudio engineering by James BattershillTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward AbelaThe Secret Pipeline: How the Far-Right is Radicalising Gen Z
32:54|Are anti-rights movements infiltrating high schools? We uncover the deliberate, decades-old strategy the far-right is using to target young people, weaponise their insecurities, and build a pipeline of extremist power.In this episode of In Solidarity, openDemocracy’s Senior Investigations Reporter Sian Norris sits down with Jamie Vernaelde, Senior Researcher at Ipas. They dive deep into a chilling new report detailing how far-right and anti-rights movements are actively grooming the next generation. From exploiting economic and physical insecurities to pumping massive financial investments into youth pipelines, Jamie exposes the conservative playbook for molding young minds.More importantly, they discuss what the progressive movement is getting wrong about youth engagement and how we can fight back by giving young people the space and resources to lead.Read the full report here: https://www.ipas.org/resource/future-proofing-the-professionalization-of-an-anti-rights-youth-generation/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 SethiAudio engineering by James BattershillTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—Chapters:00:00 How the Far-Right Targets Gen Z04:15 Why Young Women are Drifting to the Far-Right06:23 The 'Tradwife' Trend: A Pipeline to Radicalisation?08:13 Rebranding Extremism for Secular Youth11:36 The Wellness-to-Alt-Right Pipeline Explained13:07 Why Contraception is the Right’s Next Target15:12 Exposing the Dark Money Behind Anti-Rights Groups18:04 The Playbook to Weaponise the Courts20:08 Inside the Global War on Human Rights22:57 The 'Elite' Seduction: Recruiting on Campus24:39 Weaponising Victimhood: The Conservative Media Strategy28:13 The Left’s Blindspot: How Progressives Can Fight BackGaza's Illusionary Ceasefire
33:13|Over 71,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the war began on Oct 7 2023, in what a UN inquiry has described as a “genocide”. When a US-brokered ceasefire was declared in October last year, the world's attention moved on to the next crisis. Since then at least 463 Palestinians had been killed by Israel as of Jan 21 this year, of whom 100 were children, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency.Anywhere where else in the world, this would be an active conflict. In Palestine, this is what a ceasefire looks like.In this episode, we speak to Jamil Sawalmeh, the Director of ActionAid Palestine on the situation on the ground in Gaza.https://palestine.actionaid.org/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 SethiAudio engineering by James BattershillTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:41 What is the situation on the ground like Gaza?07:04 The 'Yellow Line'10:40 A lack of fresh water14:00 The great displacement14:53 Returning to Palestine is impossible20:08 Reality of the Board Of Peace24:08 The local infrastructure28:12 What should the world be doing to help?After Maduro: Storm Warnings in Venezuela
29:23|If the US once claimed it was “defending Democracy” to justify attacking countries without pretext, the current administration has made no such excuses. Last week US security forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife from a compound in Caracas in an operation that killed 70 people.Maduro was presented in a courtroom in Manhattan, on charges of supposedly “importing tons of cocaine into the United States”, and his deputy Delcy Rodriguez was installed in his place as acting President.To make this all make sense, we speak with Laura Tedesco, a long time openDemocracy contributor and professor of political science and international relations at St. Louis university in Madrid. Prof. Tedesco is also the author of several books on democracy and politics in Latin America.Read Laura's Book, Latin America's Leaders: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9781783601028https://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 SethiAudio engineering by James BattershillTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward AbelaDemocracy 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?