Citation

Kernerman G. Gov. Oppos. 2008; 43(2): 230-248.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Government and Opposition Ltd, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1477-7053.2008.00254.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Despite their stated commitment to the 1951 Refugee Convention, liberal democratic states routinely interdict refugees, such as through the use of visa requirements, effectively blocking them from reaching their borders. How do liberal democratic states navigate this contradictory terrain? To answer this question, this article explores situations where normally routine and often invisible interdiction practices break down. Canada's approach to Roma arriving from the Czech Republic and Hungary between 1997 and 2001 is an illuminating example of such breakdown and repair, providing a rare glimpse into how one liberal democratic state manages its own interdiction contradictions.