Understanding the Causes of Border Deaths: A Mapping Exercise

‘What causes border deaths?’ triggers a large variety of views and – often opposing – explanatory arguments. Is it the fault of individuals taking risks? Is it the reckless migrant smugglers who wreak havoc? Or should administrations in the Global North express mea culpa for the detrimental effects of their border policies? Rather than arguing in favour of one explanation, this chapter asserts that how border deaths are understood depends on a wide range of interacting factors. We map these factors through five dimensions, which we visualize in an integrated model and illustrate through examples. The five identified dimensions converge towards pathways for analysis of the phenomenon of border deaths without necessarily detracting from other relevant factors and arguments.