Paper short abstract:

This paper deals with the experiences of undocumented Latin American labor migrants in Germany, focusing on their perspectives on illegality, deportability and uncertainty in their everyday lives in Berlin.

Paper long abstract:

In this paper, I explore the embodiment of illegality as experienced by undocumented Latin American labor migrants in Berlin. I understand 'migrant illegality' as a social and political construct which nevertheless profoundly shapes the everyday lives of undocumented migrants . The paper is based on my doctoral fieldwork with undocumented Latin American migrants in Berlin (2008-2011).

Most of the research participants came to Germany on a 3-months-tourist visa, hoping to prolong their stay by finding employment. While most found work within a few months, virtually no possibilities exist to legalize their presence as labor migrants. Being categorized as 'illegal immigrants' came as a shock to many of the research participants, due to limited or distorted information on working in Europe, as well as differing conceptualizations of illegality and informality.

In the second part of the paper, I show how undocumented Latin Americans embody their illegality and deportability (e.g. De Genova 2002; De Genova and Peutz 2010) during the first months of their stay. By providing case examples from my research, I show that their (i)legal status alters their movements within Berlin, influences their physical and emotional wellbeing (cf. Willen 2007), and introduces mistrust, fear, and suspicion into their social relationships.

Despite these adverse circumstances, many of the research participants managed to get along, and to recover from disillusion, abuse, and illness. As I will show in the last part of the paper, religious communities and spirituality as well as transnational responsibilities play an important role for limiting or enduring uncertainty.