Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the concept of 'intimate borders' as an approach to Australia's policing of intimacy and its effect on intimate relations. It focuses on the experiences of African-Australian couples with political, moral and social borders they meet during their journeys of marriage migration.

Paper long abstract:

In this paper, I explore the concept of 'intimate borders' as an approach to Australia's policing of intimacy and its effect on intimate relations. I focus on the experiences of African-Australian couples with the political, moral and social borders of Australia. As migration policies become increasingly restrictive, for unskilled migrants from the Global South, marriage migration seems to be the only option left. However, in order to prevent 'sham' marriages, this category is subject to increasing control to make sure marriages are genuine. Couples have to prove their love for each other is real. While in Australia marriage is encouraged and seen as a private matter between two partners, marriage between a non-citizen and an Australian is a public affair. I argue that such policies and the related stereotypes about Africans who would 'only do it for the visa' and 'desperate Australian women' significantly affect the quality of life for those involved. The visa application process is a lengthy, expensive and emotional burden for couples, and, moreover, stereotypes and racism encountered in everyday life in Australia makes African-Australian relationships vulnerable and prone to breaking down. Unequal power relations and dependency on a partner as a result of policies and attitudes triggers emotional instability, frustrations and domestic violence. As such, a policy 'to protect our citizens' has become a risk for Australian citizens' wellbeing. The arguments I use are based on ongoing fieldwork among African-Australian couples in Adelaide since October 2014 for my PhD research on 'intimate borders'.