Abstract
I began this book looking to uncover the role played by the Sulu Sea, not only in assisting deported irregular migrants as they return to Sabah, but also in the day-to-day activities of migrant communities. The lives of my respondents are framed by the experiences of fear, survival and acceptance. In districts like Sandakan, the presence of security apparatuses such as ESSCOM, roadblocks, immigration raids, detention centres and deportation systems are constant reminders to irregular migrants of their status as social, economic and political threats to the state. Yet, it is this feeling of being a dangerous outcast that also helps them to develop powerful and unique narratives centred on the Sulu Sea. Through a semiotic analysis of the words, references, symbols and actions employed in forging different social ties with the sea, this book has chronicled the importance of water bodies in the lives of irregular migrants in Sabah and the ways in which they shape (and reshape) migrants’ notions of “alliance,” “belonging” and “identity.” The previous chapters have offered evidence of how these relationships are built, understood, maintained and redefined in their maritime ecology.
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Somiah, V. (2021). Conclusion: A Recapitulation. In: Irregular Migrants and the Sea at the Borders of Sabah, Malaysia. Migration, Diasporas and Citizenship. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90417-3_6
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