Migration Narratives in Policy and Politics (Working Paper No. 2020/17)

Migration narratives dominate political debates, traditional print media and social networking sites across the globe. It is neither new nor surprising that hegemonic migration narratives focus on negativity and threats, while political actors often rely on narratives for communications purposes. However, in recent years they seem to have become increasingly aware of the power of storytelling in politics and migrations attractiveness as a unifying topic. This working paper addresses the following questions: What do narratives mean and what is distinct about political and policy narratives? What are the characteristics of migration narratives? Who are the actors constructing the migration narratives? What are the impacts of narratives over migration policies and politics? Answering these questions, the paper provides a possible analytical framework for understanding the construction and roles of narratives in migration policy design and politics. By mapping existing migration studies using narratives as a concept, theory, and method, this working paper examines multiple migration narratives produced by policymakers, political parties, media, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and migrants. It defines migration narratives as stories developed through communicative practices in order to offer a specific view on migration and/or migrants or a countrys migration history. The paper illustrates how migration narratives carry out multiple functions, including structuring knowledge, drawing boundaries between “us” and “them”, shaping public opinion, producing exclusionary policies, legitimizing actions, and providing a better understanding of migrants experiences and identities. The paper contributes to highlighting ways in which narratives are both deeply embedded in knowledge production, policymaking, politics, and power as well as shaped by them. It also illustrates how migration narratives are entangled with narratives on identity, citizenship, and politics.