A "Migrantisation" of Borderwork? Emergence, Work Status, and Careers of Peer Intermediaries in Morocco's Migration Industry: The Case of Voluntary Returns

This paper explores the idea of a "migrantisation" of borderwork through the case of peer intermediation in the provision of information to migrants regarding voluntary returns from Morocco. Under what conditions are people categorised as sub-Saharan migrants being employed in projects led by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM)? What are the trajectories, careers, and work status of these peer intermediaries? To what extent does peer intermediation shape social relationships and boundaries within the migration industry and migrant communities? Using ethnographic data and documentary sources collected during fieldwork in Morocco, the paper traces the emergence of peer intermediation and underlines its diversity through the in-depth study of three illustrative trajectories. It examines "migrantisation" in relation to issues of racialisation, work, and im/mobility.