Between EU rights and national exclusions: An intersectional policy analysis of homelessness among EU/EEA migrant women in Norway

Abstract

This master thesis explores the intersection of gender, migration, and homelessness among the EU/EEA migrant women experiencing homelessness in Norway. Although Norway maintains a strong welfare system, its restrictive immigration policies have created significant barriers for EU/EEA migrants, particularly women, who face compounded vulnerabilities due to gendered inequalities, racial discrimination, legal exclusion, invisibility, and neutral institutions. Drawing from feminist intersectionality theory, this study examines how Norway’s national policies partially align with EU-level frameworks on social rights and mobility, and how these policies impact homeless migrant women. Using a multi-strategy qualitative approach, the research combines analysis of policy documents with semi-structured interviews with professionals working in homelessness support and research. The findings suggest a disconnect between EU principles of equal treatment and Norway’s welfare practices. Homeless migrant women remain largely invisible in both policy and statistics, often relying on NGOs to meet basic needs. Moreover, the study highlights how institutional practices, legal exclusions, and a lack of gender-sensitive strategies combine with socio economic factors, including ethnicity, literacy, poverty, patriarchal norms, and knowledge of rights to contribute to the homelessness of economically inactive EU/EEA migrant women. This study argues for more inclusive, rights-based approach that recognize the intersectional nature of homelessness and promote access to safe housing and welfare for all EU/EEA migrant women. The thesis contributes to the growing body of research on gendered homelessness and calls for immediate attention to address the intersecting inequalities faced by this group