Migration as cause of social problems

How does the narrative impact local government practices?

Abstract

Even though Sweden have well over half a century’s experience with migration, recently strengthened master narratives of migration and migrants as social problems are generating impact on policy making and interventions on the local level. Previous research has identified how narratives of migration and migrants impact on policy making and interventions related to migration, integration and accommodation of migrants. This study widens the scope as it identifies how narratives of migration and migrants impact on policy and interventions in general. Interviews with local government administrators and police officers from a district in Stockholm reveal how this occurs when narratives of migration and migrants are embedded in the causal argumentation of present problems in the district.

When practically any problem is argued to have migration as root cause, policy and interventions for solving them tend to target migrants. This risks the quality and efficiency of policy and interventions, when the causality behind the problem is simplified and inaccurate. Another risk is that the local government contributes to a feedback loop as this strengthens the master narrative of migration and migrants as cause of society’s problems. Targeting migrants when addressing the districts problems also risk omitting natives impacted by these from benefiting from the solution or relief provided by the local government.

Given the results, it is furthermore interesting to reason on the existence of a racializing bureaucracy: a bureaucracy that is not only racialized in its structure, but also actively contributing to the reproduction and development of racialized structures in society at large.