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Ukrainian refugees and welfare deservingness: a comparative study of UK government discussions around the 2022 Ukraine Conflict and 2015 Migrant Crisis

Garland, Joshua LU and Lee, Juhyun (2025) In British Journal of Sociology p.1-14
Abstract
Recent years witnessed mass migration towards Europe, from Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the 2015 Migrant Crisis linked to war in Syria. This article explores UK government discussion around these two significant crises, focussing on the challenges they present and the portrayal of refugees. It asks how far ministers' language differentiated between Ukrainians and Syrians regarding welfare deservingness. Thematically analysing over 100 official speeches, statements and press releases, the extent of racialisation and welfare chauvinism in ministers' discourse on refugees is revealed. Clear racialisation was found between the two refugee groups, but welfare chauvinism persisted for Ukrainians despite more favourable language,... (More)
Recent years witnessed mass migration towards Europe, from Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the 2015 Migrant Crisis linked to war in Syria. This article explores UK government discussion around these two significant crises, focussing on the challenges they present and the portrayal of refugees. It asks how far ministers' language differentiated between Ukrainians and Syrians regarding welfare deservingness. Thematically analysing over 100 official speeches, statements and press releases, the extent of racialisation and welfare chauvinism in ministers' discourse on refugees is revealed. Clear racialisation was found between the two refugee groups, but welfare chauvinism persisted for Ukrainians despite more favourable language, reflecting continued conditionality within UK government discussions of migration phenomena that may hold long-term implications for Ukrainian refugees in the UK. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
British Journal of Sociology
pages
1 - 14
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:40287946
  • scopus:105003802499
ISSN
1468-4446
DOI
10.1111/1468-4446.13219
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7388efd2-ab31-466e-a752-620e35816edc
date added to LUP
2025-04-27 19:57:58
date last changed
2025-06-10 04:02:12
@article{7388efd2-ab31-466e-a752-620e35816edc,
  abstract     = {{Recent years witnessed mass migration towards Europe, from Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the 2015 Migrant Crisis linked to war in Syria. This article explores UK government discussion around these two significant crises, focussing on the challenges they present and the portrayal of refugees. It asks how far ministers' language differentiated between Ukrainians and Syrians regarding welfare deservingness. Thematically analysing over 100 official speeches, statements and press releases, the extent of racialisation and welfare chauvinism in ministers' discourse on refugees is revealed. Clear racialisation was found between the two refugee groups, but welfare chauvinism persisted for Ukrainians despite more favourable language, reflecting continued conditionality within UK government discussions of migration phenomena that may hold long-term implications for Ukrainian refugees in the UK.}},
  author       = {{Garland, Joshua and Lee, Juhyun}},
  issn         = {{1468-4446}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  pages        = {{1--14}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{British Journal of Sociology}},
  title        = {{Ukrainian refugees and welfare deservingness: a comparative study of UK government discussions around the 2022 Ukraine Conflict and 2015 Migrant Crisis}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.13219}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/1468-4446.13219}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}