Open AccessThe Antics of Semantics in International Law
Author(s) -
Marika McAdam
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
anti trafficking review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2287-0113
pISSN - 2286-7511
DOI - 10.14197/atr.201218119
Subject(s) - refugee , deportation , proposition , law , semantics (computer science) , political science , criminology , psychology , computer security , sociology , linguistics , computer science , immigration , philosophy , programming language
Response to the ATR Debate Proposition: ‘It is important and necessary to make clear distinctions between (irregular) migrants, refugees and trafficked persons.’
Whether a person is given a loaded label like ‘irregular’ migrant, refugee or trafficked person, can make the difference between arrest and protection, or between deportation and asylum, or between return to an uncertain fate and assistance for a decent life. In short, the distinctions we make in the language of international law may mean the difference between life and death.