EXCERPT
Safe Migration and the Politics of Brokered Safety in Southeast Asia by Sverre Molland offers a remarkable account of the multifaceted role of brokers in mediating safe migration. Embedding multi-level analysis with rich empirical data collected from fieldwork in the Mekong region, the book is commendable when considering the theoretical, empirical, and analytical contributions to the study of migration infrastructure. The involvement of brokers in migration infrastructure has been discussed by various scholars, such as Deshingkar (2019), Kern and Müller-Böker (2015), Lindquist et al. (2012), Shrestha and Yeoh (2018) as well as Xiang and Lindquist (2018). The research by Molland is unique as it attempts to make a meaningful connection between brokers and safe migration governance. It analyses how various agencies operationalise safe migration through programmes and practices. The book is timely in investigating safe migration discourses due to the long-standing battle against human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and forced labour at both the regional and global levels. Molland, the author, points out that safe migration intervention has emerged out of anti-trafficking programmes. His involvement with various anti-trafficking projects and extensive research experience in human trafficking, development and mobility in the Mekong region provides the rich context to investigate the topic. In contrast to the official stereotype of unscrupulous brokers, the book suggests that brokers contribute to the successful outcome of safe migration intervention and highlights the impact of brokerage in the middle space of safe migration.
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