Imagine waking up one day and having access to far fewer rights… Human rights barrister, Sangeetha Iengar, wants to take you on a journey into the messy, uncertain, rightsless space that migrants are condemned to. Our journey follows three human stories as they suffer the forcible removal of their rights. Through each protagonist, we discover how our own liberty is threatened under the guise of immigration control. Moving through the phenomenon of immigration detention, to the expansive police powers created by counter-terrorism legislation, and onto the dangers of an arbitrary anti-extremism policy, Sangeetha powerfully reminds us that migrants’ rights dictate our rights. We leave the journey stirred to remain vigilant, because when we give permission for one group of people to be treated as less worthy of rights, it gives permission for other groups to be treated the same way.
Sangeetha is a human rights barrister, writer and activist passionate about supporting the rights of the most vulnerable members of our global community. She is a specialist in asylum, immigration and international human rights law, regularly speaking and giving expert comment on human rights and migration issues. Striving for structural change, Sangeetha is currently examining practical ways governments and individuals can manage the movement of persecuted people more humanely. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
