This thesis examines the concept of solidarity and how it can contribute to the understanding of the criminalisation of those who provide humanitarian assistance to undocumented migrants in Europe. It also looks at acts of resistance against such criminalisation. Alternative explanations are explored on the basis of theories of solidarity, previous research and collection of material from international and European institutions on the legal situation within the European Union. Particular attention is given to illustrative cases focusing primarily on the more or less publicly acceptable provision of healthcare and the less publicly acceptable provision of housing. Criminalisation can be understood in the light of exclusive solidarity only for those with citizenship or residence permit and as a part of immigration enforcement by deterring those who want to help and therefore discouraging irregular migrants from staying in the EU. Resistance against such criminalisation is built locally, on the basis of solidarity with undocumented migrants that are relatable and familiar, which also explains why solidarity is harder to achieve on a national and European level. Resistance against criminalisation is also built on faith, dignity and other grounds such as cost-benefit estimates for cities tackling issues such as social inclusion and public health.

Undocumented students in the United States continue to face unique barriers to postsecondary success. One way that community colleges and 4-year institutions are providing support for undocumented students is establishing undocumented student resource centers (USRCs). These emerging identity-based centers are dedicated spaces of support and provide customized, comprehensive resources for undocumented college students. A multipronged theoretical framework that included undocu-competence, the institutionalization process, and critical theory, was used as a lens to examine how USRC professionals and affiliates understand the development, role, and function of a USRC on a California community college campus. Qualitative single case study methods, including in-depth semistructured interviews, observations, and document analysis, were utilized to meet the purpose of the study. The findings revealed three primary themes. First, the institutionalization process of the USRC at the center of this study was complex, imperfect, and ongoing. Second, there are strengths and limitations respective to the USRC's capacity to operationalize support and safety. Finally, the compounded impact of the current socio-political moment cannot be evaded with respect to the USRC's function. Subsequently, three primary points of discussion are explored, including critiquing the process of USRC institutionalization, complicating the notion of safe spaces on campuses, and calling for inside-outside strategies of support in order to best serve undocumented students.

Poverty in the United States has been widely explored, but very seldom does research consider the impacts of poverty among undocumented immigrants. As a result, policymakers are unable to account for or accommodate the unique needs of undocumented immigrants. Using Dalton's theory of the psychology of poverty, this case study explored the experiences of undocumented immigrants in Immokalee, Florida to better understand how the current policy landscape impacts their existence and livelihoods. The data were collected through 18 interviews with undocumented immigrants and a review of government data related to poverty among this population from the United States Census Bureau, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Labor. All data were inductively coded and subjected to thematic analysis. Findings indicate that these undocumented immigrants in South Florida experienced a range of social and economic depravities, including stress, fear, and anxiety as well as inadequate housing and poor health and nutrition, particularly among children, all of which are consistent with Dalton's theory of the psychology of poverty. Another key finding reinforces previous research that undocumented workers were subject to inadequate working conditions and were at risk of exploitation by employers, particularly in the agricultural industry. The positive social change implications stemming from this study include recommendations to policymakers in South Florida to develop policies to alleviate uncertainty for undocumented immigrants, including creating policy to specifically address inadequate working conditions in order to reduce the potential exploitation of socio-economically marginalized workers.

Using resiliency theory as a lens, this qualitative study explored the educational journey and post-graduation experiences of 5 (2 females and 3 males) undocumented Latino college graduates (ULCGs). All participants completed a college degree from a U.S. four-year institution located in a state with an active in-state resident tuition (ISRT) policy. Pseudonyms were used to protect the identity of study participants since a viable path to permanent U.S. residency for undocumented students and/or graduates is currently unavailable. Participants shared their journeys through two 90-minute interviews conducted via Skype, follow-up questions conducted via e-mail, and journal entries collected via e-mail. Consistent with existing literature, findings revealed that participants experienced numerous cultural, academic, legal, and personal barriers, but were relentless in reaching their goals. Contrary to most existing literature, participants in this study enjoyed significant academic capital, aspirational capital, and followed a different and unique decision-making rationale. Findings are presented in five individual portraits and one collective portrait. Individual portraits illustrate participants' struggles, key turning points, and their life decisions. The collective portrait addresses four themes that emerged from the data, including 1) life barriers, 2) reflections of resiliency, 3) decision time, and 4) college education interpretation.

Human migration in the world is an old and on-going phenomenon. Humans move from place to place across local and international boundaries for various reasons. International migration requires documentation such as visas, passports, resident and work permits that are required for one to legally migrate to, and settle in an area. However, there are people who enter countries without documentation, and such people are referred to as undocumented migrants. This research investigates undocumented immigration in Zambia, with reference to Lusaka City. The theoretical framework that underpinned the research comprised four theories of international migration. These were the neoclassical economics theory of migration, new economics of labour migration theory, dual labour market theory of migration, and Kunz’s refugee migration theory. This researcher adopted the intensive research design and used the case study method, where Lusaka City (Zambia) constituted the case study area. The researcher gathered primary data from the Lusaka City Council, the Zambian immigration department headquarters, and from the informal settlements of Chibolya, Mandevu and Matero. Questionnaires were administered to the sampled immigration officers and Lusaka City Council officers, and interviews were conducted with Zambians and undocumented immigrants in the informal settlements. The research findings showed that undocumented immigrant interviewees came from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region. The undocumented immigrant interviewees entered Zambia due to the peace and economic opportunities found in the country, as well as joining their relatives, spouses and friends who were already in Zambia. Once in Zambia, the undocumented immigrant interviewees migrated to Lusaka City mainly for economic reasons. The major economic activity that undocumented immigrant interviewees were engaged in, was trade. Others were employed in the informal sector. Cooperation and complaints (challenges) characterised the co-existence between the interviewed Zambians and undocumented immigrants. Furthermore, undocumented immigrants in the case study areas brought about socio-economic and cultural benefits to the Zambians. Undocumented immigrants also contributed to socio-economic and environmental challenges in the case study areas. The Zambian government worked towards addressing the challenges of undocumented immigration in Lusaka City and above all, reducing the phenomenon. Much literature and research on undocumented immigration focussed on the phenomenon at the national level, and not the local urban spatial scales. The research therefore aimed at investigating undocumented immigration in Zambia with specific reference to the urban locality of Lusaka City / Geography / M. Sc. (Geography)

In this study, the policies and legislation connected to the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act between 2001 and 2012 were reviewed and analyzed to identify how the DREAM Act perpetuates structural violence. The DREAM Act purported to assist many undocumented immigrant children and young adults in becoming legal residents of the United States of America. This study applied both the qualitative content analysis approach and a policy analysis methodology guided by David Gil’s methodology for analysis and development of social policies. Data collection sources included legislative bills crafted on the DREAM Act, research articles and studies, progress reports, films, and archived newspaper articles, prior interviews, and memoranda. The theory of structural violence presented in this study was analyzed in terms of Johan Galtung’s account, particularly pertaining to undocumented children who are unserviceable or remain within the gray areas of the DREAM Act’s policies and legislative efforts. Additionally, the goals and objectives of the Act were evaluated against the disqualifying factors with which otherwise eligible children are faced, leading such children and young adults to become confined to substandard social and economic conditions. The leading research question was, “What is the impact of the DREAM Act policies on undocumented immigrant young adults?” The single follow-up question was, “How does failure to pass the DREAM Act affect undocumented children?” The study also aimed to detect signs, symbols, and traits of structural violence found through the analysis of the DREAM Act.

Master of Arts / Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work / Laszlo Kulcsar / Undocumented immigrants are an exploited and disenfranchised faction of society that garner counterfactual attitudes by the public. This study aims to dispel myths held among the public by contesting fiction with facts. First, I argue that media sources and misinformation have culpability in inciting the publics' misguided perceptions about undocumented immigrants. For example, the images propelled to viewers reproduce moral panics, stratification, subjugation, social injustice and the fallacious notion that Mexican‟s are representative of all Hispanic unauthorized immigrants. This thesis then examines the public opinion responses of participants from the CBS and New York Times monthly survey poll of May 2007, compared to academic and government sources on health care, terrorism, and economics. The analysis concludes that participants‟ responses reveal misconceptions on the usage of health care by undocumented immigrants; the threat of terrorism as a means to deny Hispanics citizenship; the economic impact of cost to benefit analysis of the undocumented; and that Mexicans are not representative of all undocumented immigrant groups.

Bakgrund: Det finns 45 miljoner flyktingar i världen. Många flyktingar har svåra upplevelser bakom sig som kan påverka hälsan och de skattar sin hälsa som dålig. Flyktingar möter många hinder när de söker vård. Trots grundläggande rättigheter om bästa uppnåeliga hälsa för alla är vården för flyktingar godtycklig. Syfte: Syftet med litteraturstudien var att beskriva flyktingars erfarenheter av hälso-och sjukvård. Metod: Kvalitativa resultat ur sex kvalitativa och tre mixed-methodstudier kvalitetsgranskades, analyserades och sammanställdes. Sökningar av artiklar gjordes i databaserna PubMed, SocIndex och CINAHL. Manuella sökningar genomfördes även. Resultat: Flyktingar hade olika erfarenheter kring vårdpersonalens bemötande och tillgången till vård. Fyra kategorier identifierades: svårigheter att få vård, kulturkrockar, diskriminerad samt respektfullt bemött. Inom dessa kategorier beskrivs kommunikationssvårigheter, rädsla för deportation, att bli lyssnad på och ekonomiska hinder som faktorer som påverkade vården. Slutsats: Flyktingar upplever att det är svårt att få vård samt att de får sämre vård än medborgare. Resultatet visar att kunskapen om bemötandet av flyktingar behöver utvecklas. Sjuksköterskor kan arbeta för att förbättra flyktingars erfarenhet av vården. / Background: There are 45 million refugees in the world. Many refugees have traumatic experiences that might affect their health and their self-rated health is generaly poor. Refugees encounter many obstacles when they seek care. Despite the fundamental rights of highest attainable standard of health for all people, healthcare for refugees is inconsistent. Purpose: The purpose of this literature review was to examine the refugees’ healthcare experiences. Method: Qualitative results from six qualitative and three mixed-method studies were reviewed for quality, analyzed and summarized. Searches of articles were made in the databases PubMed, SocIndex and CINAHL. Manual searches were also conducted. Results: Refugees had different experiences regarding their treatment by health professionals and in their access to healthcare. Four categories were identified: difficulties in accessing care, cultural clashes, discriminated and respectfully treated. Within these communication difficulties, fear of deportation, being listened to and economic barriers were described as factors that affected the care. Conclusion: Refugees experience difficulties getting care and recieve worse care than citizens. The results show that knowledge around the treatment of refugees needs to be developed. Nurses can work to improve refugees’ experiences of healthcare.

This study examines how the social process of undocumented Mexican migration is interpreted in the chronicle, literature, and film of the post-Gatekeeper period, which is defined here at 1994-2008. Bounded on one side by the Mexican economic crisis of 1994, and increased border security measures begun in that same year, and on the other by the advent of the global economic crisis of 2008, the post-Gatkeeper period represents a time in which undocumented migration through the southern U.S. border reached unprecedented levels. The dramatic, tragic, and compelling stories that emerged from this period have been retold and interpreted from a variety of perspectives that have produced distinct, and often paradoxical, images of the figure of the undocumented migrant. Creative narrative responds to this critical point in the history of Mexican migration to the U.S.by applying the inherently subjective and mediated form of artistic interpretation to a social reality well documented by the media, historians, and social scientists. Throughout the chronicle, literature, and film of this period, migration is understood as a cultural tradition inspired by regional history. These stories place their undocumented protagonists on a narrative trajectory that transforms migration into a heroic quest for personal and community renewal. Such imagery positions the undocumented migrant as an active agent of change and provides discursive visibility to a figure often represented, in media and political rhetoric of the period, as an anonymous, collective Other. Filtered through this creative lens, migration is revealed as a complex social process in which individual experience is informed not only by personal ambition, but also by the expectations of the home community and its culture of migration. The creative works examined here foreground the history, motivation, and experience of their migrant protagonists in relation to the socio-historical context of this period. In doing so, they compose tales of migration in which the figure of the undocumented migrant plays a primary role, one informed not only by the experience of migration, but also by personal and community history.

This thesis explores the political struggles that followed after the appearance of irregular migrants in Sweden. The analysis starts from the assumption that the group’s precarious circumstances of living disrupted the understanding of Sweden as an inclusive society and shed light on the limits of the welfare state’s inclusionary ambitions. The overarching analytical point of entry is accordingly that the appearance of irregular migrants constitutes an opening for contestation of the demarcation of the welfare state. The analysis draws on two strands of theory to explore this opening. Citizenship theory, first, provides insights about the contradictory logics of the welfare state, i.e. the fact that it rests on norms of equality and inclusion at the same time as it is premised on a fundamental exclusion of non-members. Discourse theory, furthermore, is brought in to make sense of the potential for contestation. The study approaches these struggles over demarcation through an analysis of the debates and claims-making that took place in the Swedish parliament between 1999 and 2014. The focal point of the analysis is the efforts to make sense of and respond to the predicament of the group. The study shows that efforts to secure rights and inclusion for the group revolved around two demands. The first demand, regularisation, aimed to secure rights for irregular migrants through status, i.e. through the granting of residence permits, whereas the second demand, access to social rights, aimed to secure rights through turning the group into right-bearers in the welfare state. The thesis concludes that the debates and claims-making during the 2000s resulted in a small, but significant, shift in policy. In 2013, new legislation was adopted that granted irregular migrants access to schooling and health- and medical care. I argue that this was an effect of successful campaigning that managed to establish these particular rights as human rights, and as such, rights that should be provided to all residents regardless of legal status. Overall, however, I conclude that there has been an absence of more radical contestation of the citizenship order, and of accompanying notions of rights and entitlement, in the debates studied.