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Private Military and Security Labour Migration: The Case of Fiji
Author(s) -
Kanemasu Yoko,
Molnar Gyozo
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
international migration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.681
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1468-2435
pISSN - 0020-7985
DOI - 10.1111/imig.12321
Subject(s) - agency (philosophy) , work (physics) , private sector , political science , armed conflict , business , political economy , development economics , sociology , economics , law , engineering , social science , mechanical engineering
Private military and security companies ( PMSC s) are a fast‐growing global industry. While the rise of PMSC s and their activities have attracted much media coverage and growing scholarly attention, little is known about their sourcing of masses of military labour from the global South. This exploratory study examines the case of Fiji, whose thousands of ex/current disciplinary force personnel and unemployed men have been contracted by PMSC s to provide security work in Iraq and other high‐conflict areas. The article shows this to be an instance of unequal core‐periphery military labour trade, outlining its scale, processes and impacts on the migrants. It also illuminates how the migrants’ collective agency is demonstrated even under powerful structural constraints.