The Center for Human Rights and International Justice will present a discussion with Rebecca Hamlin, author of the new book Crossing: How We Label and React to People on the Move (Stanford University Press), on September 21 at 4:30 p.m. The event will be held in-person at the BC Law School, East Wing 120 and be available via Zoom. Registration is required. Hamlin is an associate professor of legal studies and political science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst whose research focuses on law and immigration politics, with a particular interest in migrant categorization and the concept of a refugee. In Crossing, Hamlin argues against clinging to a distinction between the refugee and other migrants. Drawing on cases of various “border crises” across Europe, North America, South America, and the Middle East, Hamlin outlines major inconsistencies and faulty assumptions on which the migrant/refugee binary relies. She contends that the migrant/refugee binary is a dangerous legal fiction, politically constructed with the ultimate goal of making harsh border control measures more ethically palatable to the public. Author and Northeastern University Associate Professor of Philosophy Serena Parekh will serve as the discussant for the event. Copies of Hamlin’s book will be for sale at the event.