International policing, mobility and crime in Southern Africa (completed)

Darshan Vigneswaran

This project examines how the internationalisation of policing is transforming the way mobility is policed in Southern Africa. Working in collaboration with anthropologist Julia Hornberger of the Forced Migration Studies Programme, WITS University, we trace how national and international institutions police the movement of humans, goods and intellectual property across borders through ‘up close’, ethnographic and multi-sited research. Thus far our research has focussed on investigations of corruption and immigration control in Johannesburg. We are currently preparing an edited book manuscript which presents our findings thus far. The next phase of our project goes further, examining how transnational policing agendas are instigated, discussed and implemented across policing institutions in Europe, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. Primary funder: Open Society Foundation of South Africa.