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      Refugees, Migrants and Citizens in U.K. Socio-Political Discourse: A Postcolonial and Discourse Analytical Critique

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            Abstract

            This paper examines why migrants and refugees are treated differently to citizens by the U.K. government. It brings together written statements from Members of Parliament and three online news sources, unpacking the contemporary dominant discourse using Critical Discourse Analysis. It argues that, as a colonial power, the U.K. has used and continues to use dehumanisation tactics to ‘other’ migrants. The examination of texts found common themes: citizens were presented as helpful, good people, the nation-state as a source of identity and safety and borders as requiring protection — in turn, justifying exceptionalism in the name of security. It concludes that the mistreatment of migrants and refugees is seen as legitimate because the national dominant discourse has constructed their societal identity as ‘others’ who pose a risk to the congruency of the state.

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            Contributors
            Journal
            10.2307/j50018794
            jglobfaul
            Journal of Global Faultlines
            Pluto Journals
            2397-7825
            2054-2089
            1 August 2019
            : 6
            : 1 ( doiID: 10.13169/jglobfaul.6.issue-1 )
            : 17-38
            Affiliations
            Sophia Hayat Taha is a PhD candidate in Keele University. Contact: s.h.taha@keele.ac.uk
            Article
            jglobfaul.6.1.0017
            10.13169/jglobfaul.6.1.0017
            e77daa76-7ea0-4581-b8ca-9ed39f46b952
            This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

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            eng

            Social & Behavioral Sciences

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