This is the illusionist in which I, Helen Zoltzman, can't tell if language is laughing or crying.

After yet another spell of the British press and politicians using very dehumanising and derogatory rhetoric about migrants,

I felt it necessary to go back to the away-team episode of the illusionist about the language of migration.

It originally went out in early 2017, but it is never not relevant, sadly.

And there is a chunk of new material in the mini-lusionist, so stick around right to the end to hear that.

On with the show.

Recognising someone's humanity is crucial.

Calling someone a migrant, calling someone a asylum seeker, calling them a refugee,

these are official categories. But in many ways, depending on how they use, they can change and they can become more negative.

And they also preference how officials are sorting them over their very basic humanity.

This is Dr Emma Bryant, a lecturer in research in journalism studies.

A specialist in propaganda and political communication and the representation of migration and security and inequality in the media.

The category of migrant is one that embraces a lot of different groups.

This is simply just somebody who is moving from one place to another.

And that might be internally within a country or it might be between countries.

What does immigrant mean?

Immigrant is relational. So it's somebody who is coming into the country.

So when the British media is talking about immigrants, they're talking about people coming into Britain.

When the French media is talking about immigrants, they're talking people coming into France.

Immigrant means people leaving.

So I mean people who migrate from Britain to France or to anywhere are immigrating to that country.

It's just about the direction of travel basically.

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