Dealing with the undesirable: The contestation of the Danish state’s deterrence policy towards refugees amongst civil society in Denmark
Author
Nielsen, Le Lykke
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2016
Submitted on
2016-04-01
Pages
65
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan Danmark har reageret på den nylige stigning i antallet af fordrevne, med fokus på politikker, der skal afskrække asylansøgere, og på hvordan civilsamfundet udfordrer disse tiltag. Det gennemgår statslige initiativer som en ny asylaftale med 34 stramninger, der skal begrænse tilstrømningen, samt en informationskampagne i libanesiske aviser, der advarede potentielle flygtninge om de strammere regler. I modsætning hertil har en række civilsamfundsaktører over hele Danmark mobiliseret til støtte for flygtninge og brugt virkemidler fra offentlig debat til civil ulydighed. Gennem tre cases undersøger specialet, hvorfor disse grupper modsætter sig statens afskrækkelsespolitik, og hvilke strategier de anvender: den intense offentlige debat, der fulgte regeringens beslutning om at indrykke annoncer i libanesiske aviser; fænomenet ofte omtalt som civile menneskesmuglere, dvs. almindelige borgere, der transporterede asylansøgere over de danske grænser; samt netværket Welcome to Denmark, som fungerer som platform for mange initiativer til fordel for flygtninge. Undersøgelsen bygger på et case-studie inden for en teoretisk ramme om forvaltningen af fordrevne, civilsamfund og politisk aktivisme på sociale medier. Empirien omfatter opslag og interaktioner i Facebook-grupper, der fungerede som koordineringsfora, sekundære interviews med talspersoner for initiativerne, pressemeddelelser, avisartikler om aktivisternes arbejde for en mere human asylpolitik samt observationer fra demonstrationer og offentlige møder. Resultaterne peger på, at modstanden mod regeringens afskrækkelsespolitik ikke kun er et humanitært anliggende. Den er mangesidet og formet af bredere kampe om identitet, moral og politik. Ved at udfolde disse dynamikker bidrager specialet til litteraturen om civilsamfund og til den aktuelle debat om flygtninge.
This thesis examines how Denmark has responded to the recent increase in displaced people, focusing on policies designed to deter asylum seekers and on how civil society challenges those policies. It explains recent state initiatives, including a new Asylum Deal with 34 restrictions intended to reduce arrivals and an information campaign in Lebanese newspapers warning prospective refugees about the stricter rules. In contrast, a range of civil society actors across Denmark have mobilized in support of refugees, using tools from public debate to acts of civil disobedience. Through three cases, the study explores why these groups contest the state’s deterrence policy and which strategies they use: the intense public debate that followed the government’s decision to run ads in Lebanese newspapers; the phenomenon often described as civil human smugglers, meaning ordinary citizens who transported asylum seekers across Danish borders; and the network Welcome to Denmark, which serves as a platform for many refugee advocacy initiatives. The research uses a case study approach within a framework on the governance of displaced people, civil society, and social media–based activism. The empirical material includes posts and interactions in Facebook groups that functioned as coordination hubs, secondary interviews with initiative spokespersons, press releases, news articles about activism for more humane asylum policies, and observations from demonstrations and public meetings. The findings indicate that opposition to the government’s deterrence policy is not only a humanitarian reaction. It is multifaceted and shaped by broader struggles over identity, morality, and politics. By detailing these dynamics, the thesis contributes to scholarship on civil society and to ongoing public debate about refugees.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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