Concentric circles of control : the proliferation of internal borders targeting the racialised poor in Denmark and Switzerland

Countries imposing restrictions on the social, political and civil rights of foreign nationals are not really a new phenomenon. However, the neoliberal restructuring of welfare states and the rise of nativist politics have led to a proliferation of policies aiming to restrict not only the arrival of foreign nationals, but also their rights when residing within states’ territories. As a result, these people have seen their access to social rights and services restricted and have been exposed to the increased risk of expulsion for reasons ranging from unauthorised entry to criminal offenses and alleged “self-inflicted” dependency on social assistance. These trends indicate the increasing intertwinement of migration control with other policy areas, including social policies and criminal law.