“We have nothing to hide”: Legitimacy narratives, researcher positionality and the ethics of accessing the Dutch deportation apparatus
| Published date | 01 August 2023 |
| Author | Laura Cleton |
| Date | 01 August 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/imig.13065 |
1Department of Political Science, University of
Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
2UNU-Merit/Maastricht University,
Maastricht, the Netherlands
Correspondence
Laura Cleton, Department of Political Science,
University of Antwerp, Sint-Jacobstraat 2,
2000 Antwerp, Belgium.
Email: laura.cleton@uantwerpen.be
Funding information
Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Abstract
This article presents a reflection on the contentious access
negotiations involved in researching the Dutch deportation
apparatus. Previous studies described how hostility towards
researchers and the opacity within migration control regimes
more generally lead to difficulties for conducting academic
research. This article instead relies on a self-reflexive
account of two successful access negotiations to question
what acquiring access tells us about the workings of migra-
tion control, and what consequences entering into a rela-
tionship with powerful actors has for academic knowledge
production. I argue that granting access as such serves an
important function for the deportation apparatus, as it helps
to legitimise state power and assert their moral authority.
By selectively facilitating access and enabling scrutiny by
researchers, journalists and the wider public, I argue that the
deportation apparatus strategically performs transparency
and “voluntary accountability.”
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
“We have nothing to hide”: Legitimacy narratives,
researcher positionality and the ethics of
accessing the Dutch deportation apparatus
Laura Cleton1,2
DOI: 10.1111/imig.13065
Received: 18 March 2022 Revised: 7 July 2022 Accepted: 2 September 2022
INTRODUCTION
Policies that securitise borders, deter people on the move, detain and deport them are at the heart of political debate
in Europe. The far-reaching effects of “voluntary return” policies and deportation, causing possible irreversible harm
to the people these policies target (e.g. Khosravi, 2018), makes it of utmost importance for researchers to scrutinise
their day-to-day workings. Yet, before being able to generate knowledge about the everyday functioning of migra tion
control regimes, researchers must find a way to access state bureaucracies and gain proximity to policymakers and
caseworkers. While such questions of access are of importance to everyone who conducts empirical qualitative
3
© 2022 International Organization for Migration.
Int Migr. 2023;61:3–16. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/imig
Get this document and AI-powered insights with a free trial of vLex and Vincent AI
Get Started for FreeStart Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting