Malmö Institute for Studies of Migration, Diversity and Welfare, Malmö University
Abstract
By analysing migrant experiences of living in Sweden under the
threat of deportation, this book contributes to our understanding of
the effects of deportation, or forced return, on people. Migrants at
risk of deportation are a varied and disparate group, with singularly
different stories. Within their different stories, often painful to listen
to, there arise common and strong narratives. These narratives, the
outcome of qualitative research with migrants, are the focus of this
volume. An overview of key policies, legislations and institutions at
the Swedish and EU levels is provided to contextualise the data and
conclusions. What can we learn from these migrant experiences of the
Swedish forced returns system, a system which has been both highly
commended in some areas while critiqued in others?
Deportation is increasingly being discussed from a social and
global justice point of view, as well as from a human rights point
of view. It is therefore of critical importance that migrant voices
are heard and their experiences analysed. The 2009 European
Return Directive, transposed into Swedish law in 2012, states
that deportation and pre-removal detention should be conducted
with respect to fundamental human rights, or in other words, in a
‘humane and dignified’ manner. But what is a ‘humane and dignified’
deportation? Is it an oxymoron in itself? This book does not claim to
answer this question, but merely contributes to the debate through
an analysis of migrant narratives. The afterword by UNHCR Nansen
Award winner Dr. Katrine Camilleri reflects on the results of the study
by juxtaposing it with her own work in Malta and primes a wider
discussion of the topic by putting the Swedish case in the broader
context of European Union trends.peer-reviewe