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Asylum Case Adjudication in Sweden, Country of Origin Information, and Epistemic Violence

Joormann, Martin LU (2023)
Abstract
This chapter on country of origin information (COI) draws on the semi-structured interviews I have been conducting between the years 2014 and 2022 with the responsible decision makers of the Swedish welfare state: migration court judges. By applying Spivak’s concept of ‘epistemic violence’ in my qualitative content analysis of ten of these interviews, I problematise the COI that judges apply when they adjudicate. The epistemic violence embedded in asylum determination procedures in general is influenced by the institutionalised power imbalance that characterises the Swedish asylum system. The analysis of the corresponding power relations – between people seeking asylum from refugee-sending countries and decision makers of a wealthy welfare... (More)
This chapter on country of origin information (COI) draws on the semi-structured interviews I have been conducting between the years 2014 and 2022 with the responsible decision makers of the Swedish welfare state: migration court judges. By applying Spivak’s concept of ‘epistemic violence’ in my qualitative content analysis of ten of these interviews, I problematise the COI that judges apply when they adjudicate. The epistemic violence embedded in asylum determination procedures in general is influenced by the institutionalised power imbalance that characterises the Swedish asylum system. The analysis of the corresponding power relations – between people seeking asylum from refugee-sending countries and decision makers of a wealthy welfare state – leads the critical observer to detect parallels with the colonial bureaucratic violence of earlier historical periods. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Transformations of European Welfare States and Social Rights : Regulation, Professionals, and Citizens - Regulation, Professionals, and Citizens
editor
Piilgaard Porner Nielsen, Stine and Hammerslev, Ole
pages
20 pages
publisher
Palgrave Macmillan
DOI
10.1007/978-3-031-46637-3_7
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e218ec80-1fb7-4f93-911d-025c0b261ba8
date added to LUP
2023-02-28 13:45:07
date last changed
2024-03-07 09:25:38
@inbook{e218ec80-1fb7-4f93-911d-025c0b261ba8,
  abstract     = {{This chapter on country of origin information (COI) draws on the semi-structured interviews I have been conducting between the years 2014 and 2022 with the responsible decision makers of the Swedish welfare state: migration court judges. By applying Spivak’s concept of ‘epistemic violence’ in my qualitative content analysis of ten of these interviews, I problematise the COI that judges apply when they adjudicate. The epistemic violence embedded in asylum determination procedures in general is influenced by the institutionalised power imbalance that characterises the Swedish asylum system. The analysis of the corresponding power relations – between people seeking asylum from refugee-sending countries and decision makers of a wealthy welfare state – leads the critical observer to detect parallels with the colonial bureaucratic violence of earlier historical periods.}},
  author       = {{Joormann, Martin}},
  booktitle    = {{Transformations of European Welfare States and Social Rights : Regulation, Professionals, and Citizens}},
  editor       = {{Piilgaard Porner Nielsen, Stine and Hammerslev, Ole}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  publisher    = {{Palgrave Macmillan}},
  title        = {{Asylum Case Adjudication in Sweden, Country of Origin Information, and Epistemic Violence}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-46637-3_7}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/978-3-031-46637-3_7}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}