Description
Finland and Roma migrants in times of economic crisis: constructing otherness, threats and securitization of migrationFinland and the Roma Migrants in a Time of Economic Crisis: Constructing Otherness, Threats and Securitization of Migration The migration of the Romanian Roma as asylum- seekers during 1999-2000 and as migrants from 2006 to the present day, has generated an intense political and societal debate, as well as actual policies and anti-immigration discourses against Roma. This paper examines how and under what conditions the migrants came to be identified as the ‘ others’, ‘ante portas’, as well as threats to the public order and security. Firstly, the different measure and policies which have contributed to the construction of migrant communities as criminals, agents of instability and insecurity in the society and among communities, will be explored, in the light of the nation state’s dilemmas, continuities and discontinuities as well as an expression of the increasing trend of nationalism in Finland. The economic and political crisis in Europe, after 2008, is seen as an essential drive beyond the security developments in Finland. Secondly, empirically the paper draws on argumentations and data gathered among Roma migrants, civil society and experts in the field and emphasises the construction of ‘otherness ‘among individuals and communities, in the context of gender, class, ethnicity, and legal status. The paper uses a feminist approach and stands for rethinking human mobility in the context of fundamental rights and freedoms.
| Period | 7 Mar 2013 |
|---|---|
| Event type | Other |
| Conference number | 2 |
| Sponsor | University of Leicester |
| Location | Coventry, United KingdomShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |