Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research study discusses the extent to which transnational organised crime (TOC) has had an
impact on Norwegian immigration policy. There has been a public debate in Norway about the
involvement of asylum seekers in various forms of organised crime, leading immigration authorities
to lament their insufficient resources and means to tackle the problem. Simultaneously, restrictive
amendments have been made to the Norwegian Immigration Act, suggesting that immigration law is
applied against TOC. The aim of the study is to understand why there has been a change in
Norwegian immigration policy, and to discuss the effects and implications of the change.
The study is a single-case study using qualitative methods, as the study seeks to provide a detailed
description of Norwegian immigration policy and the context in which the changes in the immigration
policy have been made. The case of Norway has been chosen because of the increasing focus that
TOC has been receiving from Norwegian immigration authorities, accompanied by broad media
coverage and restrictive amendments to the Immigration Act. The theories that are applied –
criminologies of the self and the other, crimmigration, and securitisation theory – are all chosen
because they address different aspects of “us” and “them” thinking.
The study argues that the increased focus on transnational organised crime in Norwegian crime
statistics reflects the narrative of the criminal other, found in criminologies of the self and the other.
Within this narrative the criminal others are distinctly different from ordinary citizens of society and
must be excluded for our own security and protection. This contributes to reinforcement of a
discourse in which asylum seekers and illegal immigrants become difficult to distinguish from
suspicious others and criminals. Accordingly, there is support for the claim that Norwegian
immigration policy has been subject to a process of crimmigration. Further, it is found that Norwegian
immigration policy has been securitised. It is concluded that although there might be a connection
between transnational organised crime and a shift in immigration policy, the change in immigration
policy is rather a result of the larger issue of immigration in general. The theoretical framework shows
how immigration becomes framed within a security and criminal context, leading to a narrative where
the other becomes a potential threat to members of society. This is problematic in a world where
inequality is on the rise, and international conventions on human rights are at odds with punitive
populism. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingstudie bespreek tot watter mate transnasionale georganiseerde misdaad ʼn impak
gehad het op Noorweë se immigrasiebeleid. ʼn Openbare debat is in Noorweë gevoer oor die
betrokkenheid van asielsoekers by verskeie vorme van georganiseerde misdaad, wat daartoe gelei het
dat immigrasie-owerhede beswaar gemaak het teen die onvoldoende hulpbronne en middele wat tot
hul beskikking is om die probleem aan te spreek. Terselfdertyd is beperkende wysigings in Noorweë
se immigrasiewet aangebring wat aandui dat immigrasiereg teen transnasionale georganiseerde
misdaad aangewend moet word. Die doel van hierdie studie was om te verstaan waarom ʼn
verandering in Noorweë se immigrasiebeleid aangebring is en om die gevolge en implikasies van
hierdie verandering te ondersoek.
ʼn Enkele gevallestudie is in hierdie studie onderneem en daar is gebruik gemaak van kwalitatiewe
metodes om die navorser in staat te stel om ʼn gedetailleerde beskrywing te gee van Noorweë se
immigrasiebeleid en die konteks waarbinne die veranderinge in hierdie beleid aangebring is. Noorweë
is as gevallestudie gekies as gevolg van die toenemende fokus wat deur Noorweegse
immigrasieowerhede op transnasionale georganiseerde misdaad geplaas word, vergesel van
omvattende mediadekking, en die beperkende wysigings wat in die immigrasiewet aangebring is. Die
teorieë wat in hierdie studie aangewend is – kriminologie oor die “self” en die “ander”, “krimigrasie”
(crimmigration) en sekerheidsteorie – is gekies op grond daarvan dat hulle verskillende aspekte van
denke oor “ons” (die “self”) en “hulle” (die “ander”) aanspreek.
In hierdie studie word daar geargumenteer dat die toenemende fokus op transnasionale georganiseerde
misdaad in Noorweegse misdaadstatistiek die narratief van die kriminele “ander” reflekteer, waarna
daar in die kriminologie oor die “self” en die “ander” verwys word. In hierdie narratief word ʼn
duidelike onderskeid tussen die kriminele “ander” en die “gewone” burgers getref en die kriminele
moet ter wille van hierdie burgers se veiligheid en beskerming uitgesluit word van die samelewing.
Dit dra by tot die versterking van ʼn diskoers waarin dit moeilik word om asielsoekers en onwettige
immigrante van verdagtes en kriminele te onderskei. Dienooreenkomstig daarmee is daar steun vir die
bewering dat Noorweë se immigrasiebeleid onderworpe is aan ʼn krimigrasieproses. Verder is daar
bevind dat Noorweë se immigrasiebeleid aangepas is deur dit binne ʼn sekerheidsraamwerk te plaas.
Daar is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat alhoewel daar ʼn verband tussen transnasionale georganiseerde misdaad en ʼn verskuiwing in immigrasiebeleid mag wees, die verandering in
immigrasiebeleid eerder ʼn gevolg is van die groter kwessie rondom immigrasie in die algemeen. Die
teoretiese raamwerk dui aan hoe immigrasie geskets word in ʼn sekuriteits- en kriminele konteks, wat
lei tot ʼn narratief waar die “ander” ʼn potensiële bedreiging vir lede van die samelewing word. Dit is
problematies in ʼn wêreld waar ongelykheid toeneem en internasionale konvensies oor menseregte
strydig is met strafbare populisme.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/97134 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Thompson, Erik |
| Contributors | Lambrechts, Derica, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xiv, 127 pages |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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