Asylum policy and asylum experiences: interactions in a Scottish context

Citation

Bowes A, Sim D & Ferguson I (2009) Asylum policy and asylum experiences: interactions in a Scottish context. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 32 (1), pp. 23-43. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870701722570

Abstract
The research focus on asylum seeking has tended to emphasize state and international level processes, with little attention paid to sub-national and local level process, which can influence policy implementation. Drawing on research conducted in devolved Scotland, the paper considers how contradictions and tensions are played out at service agency, community and individual levels and how these fundamentally affect local experiences, as well as illuminating some of the difficulties faced by government policy aimed at control of migration and particularly of asylum seekers. These issues are explored through consideration of the views of service providers, community-based local groups and asylum seekers themselves. The authors argue that whilst in some senses, local level processes may support control through, for example, exclusion and harassment of migrants locally, in other respects, they can undermine it by, for example, promoting the development of new communities and united action between indigenous people and asylum seekers.

Keywords
Affect; agency; asylum seekers; Attention; Communities; community; context; Control; Development; DIFFICULTIES; EXAMPLE; exclusion; experience; experiences; focus; Government; GOVERNMENT policy; Implementation; interaction; interactions; International; ISSUES; LEVEL; levels; Migrants; migration; other; PEOPLE; policies; Policy; Research; respect; Scotland; scottish; service; service provider; service providers; state; support; VIEW; views

Journal
Ethnic and Racial Studies: Volume 32, Issue 1

People

Professor Alison Bowes

Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences