Legitimising immigration control: Romani asylum‐seekers in the finnish debate

The arrival of groups of Romani asylum‐seekers in Finland during 1999–2000 sparked an intense political debate, largely conducted in the press. The Finnish Aliens Act was eventually changed and ‘manifestly unfounded’ applications could be rejected in accordance with an accelerated procedure. By scrutinising the press debate on Romani asylum‐seekers this article sheds light on the articulation of various nation‐state dilemmas in relation to immigration control. Empirically the article draws on argumentation and claims‐making by different actors: political and administrative elites, experts, NGOs and the Roma. By the use of instrumentalist ‘common sense’ arguments, the elite actors point to the significance of protecting the Finnish nation‐state, but also of situating the young nation‐state in an international community. The marginalised position of the Roma is reproduced through their lack of space in the debate.