Northern Borders: Addressing Immigration Detention, Deportation, and Degradation in Scandinavia and the UK

Northern European approaches to immigration are in flux. In Denmark, Sweden and the UK, legislation and policy have seen gradual shifts toward intensified policing and internalised restrictions in welfare allowance, housing benefits and civil liberties. In the aftermath of the increase in asylum applications in 2015, the rights of migrants were curtailed through a series of legal amendments, including restrictions in family reunification and employment rights, whilst expectations for migrant integration continued and - in many areas of welfare and support – allocated funding reduced.

This workshop brings together scholars and activists working on or affected by borders. Victoria Canning (University of Bristol), Shahram Khosravi (Stockholm University) and Annika Lindberg (University of Bern) highlight the exacerbations in harmful practice, including the use of immigration detention, welfare restrictions and deportation, and the implications these have on migrant groups. Drawing from various research and activist projects, each will outline key issues in contemporary border regimes in Scandinavia and the UK.