Resisting Societal Bordering through Political Subjectivity

This paper analyses how societal and political borders perform processes of inclusion and exclusion. It does this in focusing on the process underlying the role categorizations play in migration narratives. These categorizations shape social and political outcomes, influencing migrants’ opportunities to belong to the national community and access fundamental rights. Migrants, already positioned as outsiders, are often negatively categorized when portrayed as failing to meet normative expectations. Using the case of Aboubakar Soumahoro, the paper examines how migrant activism seeks to re-signify these categories, challenging dominant external representations. Such challenges can empower migrants by granting social and political visibility – a prerequisite for influencing migration discourse. However, they also risk reinforcing perceptions of migrants as lacking integration resources. From a democratic perspective, contesting exclusionary narratives may deepen marginalization, yet remains essential for addressing democratic injustices. This analysis highlights the ambivalent dynamics of categorization and the transformative potential of migrant political subjectivity.