Är detta seriöst? : En studie av anhöriginvandring till Sverige

Immigration for family reunion makes up about 30-50 per cent of all immigration to Sweden. The present thesis deals with the handling of applications for reunion immigration and with the comprehension of the concept of reunion immigration and of a “serious relationship”, partly by the executing officer/decision maker who apply the law, partly by the individual who is part of the couple relationship. A further purpose is to analyze and understand how interpretations of the concept serious relationship affect decisions in practice. The empirical material for study consists of documents from Migration Board. The thesis elucidates various discourses existing in the texts of the Migration Board, investigations, and during case handling. These discourses are more or less clear and explicit, but mirror how the concept serious relationship is expressed. Discourses which are demonstrated have different themes where notions of gender, ethnicity and social class are recurrent when the individual positions itself as a subject. Throughout the thesis, significant associations are demonstrated when the characteristics of the referent persons are studied, e.g., level of education, gainful employment, and citizenship. The characteristics of the referents seem to be regarded as very important while characteristics of the applicants seem to be of less importance. The characteristics of the referent influence both the handling of the case and the decision. The results of the study of the handling of the Migration Board can be interpreted as if the handling is marked by and affected by whiteness as a norm, where Europe and whiteness are constructed in terms of rationality, intelligence, common sense, and control. White Westerners, in contrast to The Others, are systematically given admittance, precedence, and possibilities.