This thesis analyses materials – a set of guidelines and a presentation – provided for officials  who assess claims related to sexual orientation and gender identity within the Australian  government’s Department for Immigration and Border Protection. The analysis is conducted  using critical discourse analysis to see if the lexicon shows a white heterosexual bias, and if it  does, how the bias is manifested within the guidelines, especially within the context of the  gender binary. The theoretical framework primarily uses Critical Race theory, but also  combines elements of Said’s Orientalism, and absence and presence theory. The results show  that the guidelines do have a white heterosexual bias, which manifests itself in the form of,  Western superiority, stereotypes about LGBT+ people, as well as an undertheorized portrayal  of the gender binary. The findings contribute to research within the queer asylum field,  especially with regards to research on migration from a non-gender-binary perspective.

This thesis is a qualitative study that seeks to investigate how refugees were represented in the tabloid newspaper Aftonbladet’s reports before and after the 2015 refugee crisis. The aim of the study is to find out if the representation of immigration in Aftonbladet changed after the 2015 refugee crisis and what differences and changes we can see in the media representation of the refugees before and after the crisis. The data used in the paper is comprised of articles from January 2014 and January 2018. The study is done in the light of Stuart Hall’s three representational approaches of reflective, intentional and constructionist to explore the discourse of immigration and scrutinize the periodic differences of such a representation. The findings of this paper indicate that the representation of refugees and immigration has more of a reflective tone to it during the pre-crisis phase and later when the crisis dies down the representation of immigration gets a more constructive nature; and even more wilful.

This thesis measures the extent of the impact of the EU’s management of its migration flow in the aftermath of the ‘Summer of Migration’ on its legitimacy and normative power towards external actors.  Although historically funded and legitimated by its commitment to Human Rights values, the EU has failed to manage effectively and ethically the migration crisis indenpently. Building upon Buchanan’s constructivist approach of the strategies of legitimation used by IOs in IR, this thesis argues that this failure, by shedding light on the union’s weaknesses and pressuring it into to unethical external deals, deteriorates its image towards external actors and provides delegitimating tools to competitors of the EU in a global context of post-US hegemony, feeding power struggles in a shifting polarized world. By creating a theoretical bridge between EU internal policies and their external consequences, this thesis investigates interconnexions and causality effects between the structural flaws of the CEAS, the 2016 EU/Turkey deal and the loss of legitimacy of the EU. The arguments defended by this thesis are supported by an empirical research based on the critical discourse analysis of the evolutions of Turkish leaders’ speeches given at the UN General Assembly debates between 2009 and 2019. Using methods deriving from Discourse Historical Analysis (DHA), the analysis of the speeches pinpoints the role of the EU’s management of the migration crisis in the shift from positive to negative discourses of Turkish leaders towards the union. Finally, the study considers that the normative arguments related to the non-commitment of the EU to its upheld HR values has become a semantic tool of delegitimation for Turkey against the EU, and to promote itself as a new leader of IR.

In 2015, 70% of the asylum-seekers in Sweden were men. This skewed ratio combined with the image of the threatful male immigrant have raised a topical question within the most gender equal country and self-proclaimed feminist state. Through a gender perspective that has never been researched and which gives voice to Swedish women, this issue is investigated. In particular, it is relevant to consider how socially engaged Swedish women reflect on male newcomers who have arrived in Sweden since the 2015 refugee crisis. Alongside it is pertinent to investigate how those Swedish women assess the impact of the new arrivals on their lives and the society they live in. Using qualitative research,fifteen women are interviewed on account of their relevant opinion on the topic, their experience with refugees, their political stance and their work. The informants reminisce about the refugee crisis in Sweden and examine the characteristics of male newcomers,their empathy and support towards male newcomers, gender (in)equality and the impact of the arrival of male newcomers in Sweden. Results display a dense and complex picture of the viewpoints of Swedish women on the refugee crisis and the arrival of male newcomers to Sweden, between enthusiasm and prudence on the issue.

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Background: Environmental challenges faced by humankind are creating various changes in the business environment. These changes are facilitating entrepreneurial activities for environmental sustainability. However, some actors, such as immigrant entrepreneurs, might face difficulties in identifying and exploiting the external enablers of entrepreneurial action for sustainability. Purpose: Considering the importance of sustainable development, the study aims to understand the role of external enablers for environmental sustainability in immigrant ventures. Thus, the study aims to investigate how ‘external enabler opacity and agency-intensity’ facilitate or hinder environmentally sustainable entrepreneurial activities among immigrant entrepreneurs. Method: The study employs a qualitative approach and utilizes a multiple case study methodology, with the primary method of semi-structured interviews. Inductively building upon the External Enabler Framework, the study integrates insights from external enablers, environmental entrepreneurship, and immigrant entrepreneurship literature. Conclusion: The study finds that low opacity and high agency intensity of external enablers limit immigrant ventures' involvement in environmental sustainability. Moreover, barriers immigrant entrepreneurs face compound these limitations, possibly leading to decreased competitiveness and missed opportunities. Contributing to the External Enabler Framework, the concept of enforcement is introduced as a novel cross-function of external enabler mechanisms, which facilitates immigrant ventures' engagement in environmentally sustainable activities.

This thesis examines the influence of governance quality on emigration in Latin America during the period of 2005-2010. It goes beyond the traditional focus on corruption and explores the impact of other dimensions of governance represented by the six World Governance Indicators. The research aims to expand the understanding of governance quality's role in emigration and its relationship with socioeconomic factors. The study utilizes quantitative analysis based on secondary data sources to investigate the research questions. The findings highlight the significance of considering multiple dimensions of governance quality beyond corruption in explaining emigration patterns. The theories of Push-Pull, Systems, Institutional, and State Capacity provide a conceptual framework for understanding the relationships between governance quality and Latin-American migration patterns. The analysis demonstrates that a comprehensive understanding of governance quality, along with socioeconomic variables, improves the explanatory power of the model. The research contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex factors driving emigration in Latin America.

Today, many Guatemalans flee the country and leave their home communities behind due to poor living conditions and high unemployment. Irregular migration involves many risks yet is for many seen as a necessity to live a purposeful life. Since attempts to improve these circumstances often is based on Westernized ideals and experiences, this study aims to portray the needs and attitudes from Maya communities in the Sololá region, Guatemala. To achieve this aim, twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted, one with representatives from the international organization for migration (IOM), 4 with mayors in the region and 7 with 8 Maya women who live in these communities. The study was carried out in collaboration with the nongovernmental organisation Natün who are active in the area, working to improve the Maya community's situation. By using the neoclassical theory, the new economics of labour migration and decolonial theory the experiences of the respondents were analysed. The results show that there is a broad spectrum of causes regarding why people feel the need to leave. Moreover, even though people have possibilities in Guatemala, they still search for a better life in the U.S. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and IOM´s purpose was analysed and compared to the actual needs of the community resulting in the conclusion that there is a risk these organization base their work on underlying motives such as stemming migration.

In the field of environmental migration studies, research on social consequences of  development projects has received limited attention. The study highlights the rise of “green grabbing,” e.g., the appropriation of land in the name of climate change mitigation. While there is existing research on the environmental and economic effects of green grabbing, its influence on migration outcomes remains understudied. To address this research gap, the study conducts an exploratory case study of Colombia, a country plagued by internal displacement. It investigates the correlation between green grabbing and internal displacement, considering socioeconomic and political factors. By combining statistical and historical analyses within the world-system theory and the political ecological approach, the research uncovers structural patterns in Colombia and sheds light on the intricate relationship between environmental initiatives and internal displacement, emphasizing the pursuit of profit within the capitalist world-system. Future research directions suggest the use of mediation analysis and qualitative investigation of policy narratives in climate change and migration.

The hotel industry employees have been one of the most affected people in the industry by the Covid-19 pandemic. Immigrant workers and women are not an exception. Considering the literature gap on investigating immigrants in hospitality in Sweden, this thesis aims to understand the immigrant housekeeper worklife post Covid-19. Using a qualitative approach, this study participants were interviewed to share and voice their concerns. Findings indicated that room attendants have faced poor job conditions, additional issues on seeking a job as immigrants, and Covid-19 only hardened existing working conditions.