Imposed dehumanised realities: crisis biopolitics at Lesvos' border camps in the pandemic era of COVID-19
by Stergios Psifis; Electra Petracou
International Journal of Migration and Border Studies (IJMBS), Vol. 7, No. 4, 2023

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the implementation of restrictive measures against populations in the name of crisis politics. This paper examines the policies that have been applied to refugees living in Lesvos camps since the outbreak of the pandemic and the impact these policies have had on their lives and bodies. We approach the COVID-19 crisis as a complex phenomenon of multispecies encounters, in which human and non-human actors are entangled under the governance of biopolitics. We demonstrate how anthropocentrism and neoliberal capitalism have resulted in both refugees and Sars-Cov-2 being recognised as exogenous threats that need to be ostracised or eliminated, rendering them invisible outcasts. We argue that creating heterotopias for either humans or viruses is a self-defeating dead end that requires radical re-theorisation by embracing posthumanistic values. It is essential to realise that we live in a unified evolutionary ecosystem where every action (or inaction) has a ripple effect and impacts all. This realisation should underpin and guide all policies concerning the refugee and pandemic 'crises'.

Online publication date: Wed, 15-May-2024

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