A Case of Mixed Motives?: Formal and Informal Functions of Administrative Immigration Detention

Playing Hard(er) to Get: The State, International Couples, and the Income Requirement

“…Since the 1990s, the Dutch government has developed various policies to reduce the life chances for unauthorized migrants in terms of working opportunities, and access to education and health care (Van der Leun, 2003, Leerkes, 2009. Furthermore, there is evidence that the risk of immigration detention is now considerably higher than in the past (Leerkes and Broeders, 2010).…”

Crime among irregular immigrants and the influence of internal border control

“…Many local governments-faced with the results of restrictive immigration policy in the form of homeless and criminal irregular migrants on their streets-continue to subsidise accommodation for certain categories of irregular migrants or even organise accommodation themselves. Moreover, the national government has begun to detain substantial numbers of marginalised irregular migrants in immigration detention, often repeatedly, to manage public safety problems [39].…”

“…By April 2004 this share had increased to 49% [8]. Furthermore, between 1997 and 2004 the number of irregular immigrants held in administrative detention (awaiting expulsion) rose by 92%, and the number of foreigners held in Dutch prisons increased by 49% [39]. 3 The latter increase was caused by several factors which are not all discussed here, but the rise in crime suspects without legal status is likely to be among them.…”

Enduring Uncertainty

“…Deportation constructs citizenship (Walters 2002) because 'every act of deportation might be seen as reaffirming the significance of the unconditional right of residence that citizenship provides' (Anderson, Gibney and Paoletti 2011: 548). Deportation policies comply with public expectations and electoral politics; they assure the voting public that the problem has been identified, and is being addressed through state power (Bosworth 2008;Gibney and Hansen 2003;Leerkes and Broeders 2010). In seeking to expel the unwanted, deportation reveals 'citizenry as community of value as much as community of law', and this is where the symbolic and definitive power of deportation lies (Anderson, Gibney and Paoletti 2011: 548).…”

“…The policing and criminalisation of foreign nationals thus sends the message that foreigners pose a risk to society. Harsh immigration policies may be a symbol of strength, but one indicative of an actual weakness in authority and inadequate controls -it is indicative of government's inability to control the border (Bosworth 2008;Leerkes and Broeders 2010).…”