Publication
Title
Fraudulent families? Investigating the role of paperwork in the assessment of refugees' family reunification in Belgium
Author
Abstract
Current European directives indicate that refugees must be afforded more leniency when certifying the family relationships in family visa applications. However, our research-based on an in-depth thematic analysis of a sample of proceedings of the Belgian Council for Alien Law Litigation (2015-2019)-shows that even when refugee families provide documentary evidence about family ties and identity, this is often used against them. Building on studies on the bureaucratic culture of disbelief/suspicion, we illustrate that refusals are often based on discretionary decisions not to further investigate the application, as families allegedly committed fraud by presenting fake or discrepant proofs, while discrepancies may well emerge from the complexity of refugees' transnational lives and bureaucratic experiences.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Journal of immigrant & refugee studies. - Place of publication unknown
Publication
Abingdon : Routledge journals, taylor & francis ltd , 2023
ISSN
1556-2948
1556-2956
DOI
10.1080/15562948.2023.2271864
Volume/pages
(2023) , p. 1-15
ISI
001099021000001
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 04.12.2023
Last edited 04.03.2024
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