Abstract
Migrants’ struggles against borders have been examined extensively among refugees and undocumented migrants, whereas the everyday struggles in contexts of administrative bordering have remained insufficiently examined within the framework of so-called highly skilled migration. Drawing on in-depth interviews (N=34) with migrants holding a student residence permit in Finland, this article addresses the means of challenging administrative borders in a constrained situation produced by the border regime. I argue that student-migrant-workers employ pragmatic strategies by making use of the legal framework to secure their right to residence. However, the efforts at circumventing the constraints of the border regime often become re-inscribed within the framework of capitalist production, displaying the ambivalence of migrant practices. This article contributes to the scarce sociological literature on the struggles around administrative borders and the vague scholarly inquiry into student-migrants' efforts at challenging migration control.
Highlights
Interest in refugees’ and undocumented migrants’ struggles in border zones and cityscapes has been extensive (e.g. Ataç, 2016; Caraus, 2018; Erensu, 2016; Näre, 2018), while the everyday implications of the border regime and resistance towards it have received scarce inquiry in the context of migrants conceptualised within the framework of so-called highly skilled migration
The analysis focuses on the room for interpretation in the context of administrative bordering, and on the strategies developed by student-migrants to challenge administrative bordering in order to circumvent the constraints of the border regime
This article has analysed student-migrant-workers’ efforts to remain legally in the country and to direct their lives towards achieving their desired goals. It has offered a nuanced picture of resistance towards the constraining border regime, diverging from its mediatised and highly visible forms, and instead highlighting the particular tensions taking shape between, on the one hand, the administrative bordering practices and on the other the student-migrant workers’ attempts at challenging the governing of their everyday lives
Summary
Interest in refugees’ and undocumented migrants’ struggles in border zones and cityscapes has been extensive (e.g. Ataç, 2016; Caraus, 2018; Erensu, 2016; Näre, 2018), while the everyday implications of the border regime and resistance towards it have received scarce inquiry in the context of migrants conceptualised within the framework of so-called highly skilled migration. Research demonstrates that migrants holding student residence permits or visas often have experiences of low-paid work and precarity due to their insecure and temporary migration status (Maury, 2017, 2020a, 2020b; Neilson, 2009; Robertson, 2011, 2019a).
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