“They’re not granted human rights in our EU”. A study of actors’ responsibility for vulnerable EU citizens in Gothenburg.

Abstract

Who is responsible for vulnerable EU citizens in Gothenburg? The aim of this study is to explore how different local actors perceive their responsibility, and possibility to affect the situation, for vulnerable EU citizens. Previous research suggests that when multiple actors are involved - both state actors and civil society, guided by different regulations - the cooperation, priorities and target group of actors becomes important. Moreover, looking at East - West European migration through the perspectives of gender, shows many responsibility issues that challenge the welfare state regarding what kind of help actors can and should offer. In order to fulfil my aim, I have interviewed the most active actors who meet vulnerable EU citizens in Gothenburg, such as the City of Gothenburg, NGOs and the Police Authority. My research makes a theoretical contribution by combining theories on responsibility and intersectionality to explore how these actors are collaborating to manage the increasingly alarming situation with poor migrants from Eastern Europe. Based on these theories I use thematic analysis to find conflicts and agreements among actors, and I find two main themes: responsibility based on legal frames and responsibility based on moral values. Further, intersectional awareness among actors are limited to the workings of gender, poverty and ethnicity. These categories influence actors’ perception and management of EU migrants’ special vulnerability and exclusion. Concluding, my research find that responsibility is a sensitive subject, and the way actors perceive their responsibility for vulnerable EU citizens is different depending on their legal limitations and how they chose to frame the issue. Further research could include the perspectives of the migrants to contribute with whether the responsibility of actors is noticed and appreciated.