Stranger Danger: The Political Debate on Crimmigrants

Abstract

Politicians are increasingly describing immigrants as dangerous and threatening criminals. The criminal immigrant, i.e., ‘crimmigrant’ has become a useful symbol, especially for the emerging radical-right parties in the Nordic countries. This article fuses crimmigration research with studies of political debates, to explore the current parliamentary debate on crimmigrants in Sweden. It looks at how, when, and why politicians link immigrants to crime, and strangers to danger. The empirical analysis identifies five narrative characters that are discussed in the Swedish political debate on immigrants and crime. The study shows that even firm stereotypes such as the crimmigrant have nuances. It highlights how and when radical-right and mainstream parties contribute to the crimmigrant stereotype, or dispute it. It shows how certain narrative characters are used in politics, and how politicians link immigrants to crime, and strangers to danger.