A community psychology for migrant justice: Critically examining border violence and resistance during the COVID‐19 syndemic

This article explores the magnifying lenses of the COVID‐19 syndemic to highlighthow people racialized as migrants and refugees have been—and continue to be—disproportionally harmed. We use empirical evidence collected in our scholarly/activistwork in Europe, Africa, South Asia, and the United States to examine migrantinjustice as being produced by a combination of power structures and relationsworking to maintain colonial global orders and inequalities. This is what has beendefined as “border imperialism.” Our data, complemented by evidence fromtransnational solidarity groups, show that border imperialism has further intersectedwith the hygienic‐sanitary logics of social control at play during the COVID‐19 period.This intersection has resulted in increasingly coercive methods of restraining people onthe move, as well as in increased—and new—forms of degradation of their lives, thatis, an overall multiplication of border violences. At the same time, however, COVID‐19has provided a unique opportunity for grassroot solidarity initiatives and resistance ledby people on the move to be amplified and extended. We conclude by emphasizing theneed for community psychologists to take a more vigorous stance against oppressiveborder imperialist regimes and the related forms of violence they re/enact.