Between Choice and Constraint: A socio-legal study of §8 of the Danish Return Act (Hjemrejseloven)
Author
Mohajer Iravani, Helia
Term
4. semester
Education
Publication year
2026
Submitted on
2026-04-15
Abstract
This thesis examines how voluntariness is constructed and legitimized in Danish return governance through an empirical analysis of Section 8 of the Danish Return Act. Section 8 offers higher financial support to rejected asylum seekers who accept return and withdraw their right to appeal a first-instance decision. Using a socio-legal approach grounded in critical realism, the study treats voluntariness as an institutional accomplishment rather than an individual state of mind. The empirical basis comprises six semi-structured interviews with actors across administration, policy, civil society counseling, legal practice, and research. The abductive analysis proceeds in two moves: a Bourdieusian field analysis mapping how institutional positions set the “rules of the game” for legitimate talk about voluntariness, and a Foucauldian governmentality analysis examining how techniques and incentives structure the field of possible action. Findings show that voluntariness is stabilized differently across positions: administrative actors emphasize procedural correctness and standardized information, shifting responsibility to the individual once formal steps are completed; policy-oriented perspectives view incentives as legitimate steering tools within a coherent return architecture; rights-focused and practice-near perspectives highlight structural asymmetry and vulnerability, warning that financial incentives and informational practices may erode the perceived meaningfulness of appeal rights. Overall, the analysis identifies a central paradox: although Section 8 formally preserves choice, the decision is made under legal uncertainty and institutional asymmetry and is conditioned on waiving access to second-instance review in exchange for enhanced support. The Danish case thus illustrates how return governance can align migration control with the language of individual choice by governing through freedom rather than despite it.
Specialet undersøger, hvordan frivillighed konstrueres og legitimeres i dansk hjemrejseforvaltning gennem en empirisk analyse af §8 i Hjemrejseloven. §8 giver afviste asylansøgere mulighed for højere økonomisk støtte ved hjemrejse, hvis de opgiver retten til at anke en førsteinstansafgørelse. Med en socio-juridisk tilgang og kritisk-realistisk udgangspunkt behandler studiet frivillighed som et institutionelt resultat frem for en individuel tilstand. Datagrundlaget er seks semistrukturerede interviews med aktører på tværs af forvaltning, policy, civilsamfundsrådgivning, juridisk praksis og forskning. Analysen forløber abduktivt i to spor: en Bourdieusk feltanalyse af, hvordan institutionelle positioner sætter spillereglerne for, hvad der kan tælle som legitim tale om frivillighed; og en foucauldiansk governmentality-analytik af, hvordan teknikker og incitamenter strukturerer handlemuligheder. Fundene viser, at frivillighed stabiliseres forskelligt: administrative aktører lægger vægt på procedurekorrekthed og standardiseret information, hvilket forskyder ansvar til den afviste efter formelle skridt er fulgt; policy-orienterede stemmer ser incitamenter som legitime styringsværktøjer i en sammenhængende hjemrejsearkitektur; mens rettigheds- og praksisnære perspektiver fremhæver strukturel asymmetri og sårbarhed og advarer om, at økonomiske incitamenter og informationspraksisser kan udhule oplevelsen af meningsfulde ankemuligheder. Samlet peger analysen på et centralt paradoks: Selvom §8 formelt bevarer valget, træffes beslutningen under juridisk usikkerhed og institutionel asymmetri og er betinget af at fraskrive sig adgang til andeninstansprøvelse mod øget støtte. Den danske case illustrerer dermed, hvordan hjemrejseforvaltning kan forene migrationskontrol med valgretorik ved at styre gennem frihed frem for på trods af den.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]