The article examines the migration infrastructures and pathways through which migrants move into, through and out of irregular status in Japan and the UK and how these infrastructures uniquely shape their migrant experiences of irregularity at key stages of their migration projects. We develop a three-pronged analysis of the infrastructures of irregularity, focusing on infrastructures of entry, settlement and exit, casting a comparative light on the mechanisms that produce precarious and expendable migrant lives in relation to access to labour and labour conditions, access and quality of housing and law enforcement, and how migrants adapt, cope, resist or eventually are overpowered by them.

The Special Issue edited by Jenny Phillimore, Gracia Liu-Farrer and Nando Sigona is available here.

To cite: Sigona, N, Kato, J, and Kuzetnova, I (2021) ‘Migration infrastructures and the production of migrants’ irregularity’, Comparative Migration Studies, 9 (31): https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-021-00242-4