A emigração irregular para França: repressão, tolerância e colaboração, 1957-1974

Abstract

This article aims to understand the irregular migration networks between Portugal and France (1957-1974), focusing on the relationships between illegal agents (smugglers, recruiters, etc.) and regional and local State agents in the border contexts where irregularities were most prevalent. Starting from the government’s contradictory positions on the migration issue and analyzing the effective implementation of migration policies by state agents on the ground, we seek to identify the factors that explain the effectiveness of irregular networks. The study is based mainly on oral sources, complemented with documentation from national, regional, and municipal archives. We argue that the “differentiated management of illegality” within or between state institutions produced duplicities and discretions that compromised the effectiveness of migration regulatory measures, while at the same time reflecting the government’s ambiguity in this matter.

Keywords

• state
• France
• networks
• Portuguese migration
• smugglers
• surveillance