On the Borders: The Arrival of Irregular Immigrants in Malta. Some Implication for Education.

Duncan Mercieca

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    This paper concerns the issue of the continual arrival of irregular immigrants in Malta and the problems that ensue. The view generally held is that we need to respond to the needs of irregular immigrants by providing services. However, with reference to some of Jacques Derrida's ideas, I argue in this paper that the other/immigrant is not there for us to respond to by creating services to cater for her needs. Through the presence of the irregular immigrant, we are made to question who we are, and are faced with our own vulnerability. We become ‘other’ to ourselves. This paper uses Derrida's ideas of tensions, trembling, borders and limited and unlimited hospitality, to lay the way for some suggestions of how the education of children can be influenced. In a time when educational discourse rotates around performativity, this paper suggests that space should be made in education for astonishment, surprise and enigmatic experience.
    Original languageUndefined/Unknown
    Pages (from-to)145-157
    Number of pages13
    JournalEthics and Education
    Volume2
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 15 Oct 2007

    Keywords

    • Other
    • borders
    • hospitality
    • Irregular immigrants
    • education
    • Derrida

    Cite this