Main data sourcesMain data sources about border deaths are news media, states (although no state has yet produced mortality statistics for border deaths using the following official documentation: medical examiner reports, death records, burial permits etc.) and affected persons (Dearden et al. 2020: 55-56). “There is a heavy dependence still on data sourced from news reports, whereas families and survivors are an... More about border deathsBorder deaths or migrant deaths “describe the premature deaths of persons whose movement or presence has been unauthorized and irregularized as they navigate or interact with state-made boundaries” (Last 2020: 21). A narrow definition includes only those deaths that occur during the border crossing (at the borderline) or the transit from one country to another, while more contextual definitions include... More are news media, states (although no state has yet produced mortality statistics for border deathsBorder deaths or migrant deaths “describe the premature deaths of persons whose movement or presence has been unauthorized and irregularized as they navigate or interact with state-made boundaries” (Last 2020: 21). A narrow definition includes only those deaths that occur during the border crossing (at the borderline) or the transit from one country to another, while more contextual definitions include... More using the following official documentation: medical examiner reports, deathDeath is physical, biological and social phenomena. Death as social phenomena remains present in society and is handled symbolically after life is over. ... More records, burial permits etc.) and affected persons (Dearden et al. 2020: 55-56). “There is a heavy dependence still on data sourced from news reports, whereas families and survivors"The risk of death turns those who complete a journey successfully into ‘survivors’. This term – unlike definitions such as ‘irregular’ or ‘illegal’ – evokes humanitarian feelings of compassion; however, it does not evoke the idea of a recognition of rights besides that to life. Therefore, pretty much like ‘irregular’ or ‘illegal’, it contributes to a symbolic inferiorization of migrants.“... More are an under-appreciated source of information about border deathsBorder deaths or migrant deaths “describe the premature deaths of persons whose movement or presence has been unauthorized and irregularized as they navigate or interact with state-made boundaries” (Last 2020: 21). A narrow definition includes only those deaths that occur during the border crossing (at the borderline) or the transit from one country to another, while more contextual definitions include... More and their impact. Impacts of the phenomenon of border deathsBorder deaths or migrant deaths “describe the premature deaths of persons whose movement or presence has been unauthorized and irregularized as they navigate or interact with state-made boundaries” (Last 2020: 21). A narrow definition includes only those deaths that occur during the border crossing (at the borderline) or the transit from one country to another, while more contextual definitions include... More also need to diversify beyond aggregated deathDeath is physical, biological and social phenomena. Death as social phenomena remains present in society and is handled symbolically after life is over. ... More tolls and unreliable mortality rates, to demonstrate the variety of ways in which many different people are afflicted.“ (Last 2020: 25). Treating families and friends as a source of data „has important ethical and practical implications“ and may „lead to a shift in the kind of data that is disseminated“ (Dearden et al. 2020: 63).
Literature:
Dearden, Kate, Tamara Last and Craig Spencer. 2020. „Mortality and Border DeathsBorder deaths or migrant deaths “describe the premature deaths of persons whose movement or presence has been unauthorized and irregularized as they navigate or interact with state-made boundaries” (Last 2020: 21). A narrow definition includes only those deaths that occur during the border crossing (at the borderline) or the transit from one country to another, while more contextual definitions include... More Data Key Challenges and Ways Forward“. In Border Deaths. Causes, Dynamics and Consequences of Migration-related Mortality. Paolo Cuttitta and Tamara Last eds. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 53-70.
Last, Tamara 2020. “Introduction. A State-of-the-Art Exposition on Border DeathsBorder deaths or migrant deaths “describe the premature deaths of persons whose movement or presence has been unauthorized and irregularized as they navigate or interact with state-made boundaries” (Last 2020: 21). A narrow definition includes only those deaths that occur during the border crossing (at the borderline) or the transit from one country to another, while more contextual definitions include... More”. In Border Deaths. Causes, Dynamics and Consequences of Migration-related Mortality. Paolo Cuttitta and Tamara Last eds. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 21-33.