Racialised Integration: Arabic-Speaking Refugees and Immigrants' Experiences on the Paradoxes of Integration

Abstract

Finland’s integration policy is praised for its inclusivity and for guaranteeing equal opportunities. This paper examines how integration processes work within such an ideal image. Building on theoretical and critical discussions of integration and racialisation, we approach integration as a mechanism of racialisation and discuss the consequences of racialised integration practices for Arabic-speaking refugees and immigrants living in Finland. We move beyond the established discussions of high unemployment rates among refugees and immigrants and provide a critical examination of the reasons for their unemployment. We argue that while the national integration policy officially promotes equality and even antiracism, integration practices themselves can be racialising, affecting people’s access to and opportunities for employment.

Keywords

• racism
• racialisation
• integration
• refugees
• immigrants
• subjectification
• finland