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PDF hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen The following full text is a publisher's version. For additional information about this publication click this link. http://hdl.handle.net/2066/208662 Please be advised that this information was generated on 2021-10-04 and may be subject to change. Administering Belonging in the Netherlands The social production of Integration Policy and state authority Michiel Swinkels Lay-out: In Zicht Grafisch Ontwerp Printed by: Ipskamp, Enschede © 2019 Michiel Swinkels ISBN/EAN: 978-94-028-1734-8 6 Administering Belonging in the Netherlands. The social production of Integration Policy and state authority Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen op gezag van de rector magnificus prof. dr. J.H.J.M. van Krieken, volgens besluit van het college van decanen in het openbaar te verdedigen op maandag 11 november 2019 om 14.30 uur precies door Michiel Swinkels geboren op 16 december 1983 te Loon op Zand Promotor: Prof. dr. A.H.M. van Meijl Copromotor: Dr. A. de Koning (Universiteit Leiden) Manuscriptcommissie: Prof. dr. M.M.T. Verloo Prof. dr. W. Schinkel (Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam) Prof. dr. C. Shore (Goldsmith’s, University of London, Verenigd Koninkrijk) Voor mijn vader Jo Swinkels 5 Contents List of abbreviations and acronyms x Text boxes, figures and images xii Introduction: On Studying the Effects of Policy and State 1 The policy effect 5 Policy: a rational, efficient instrument? 6 Bureaucracy: objectifying and universalizing decision making 11 The state: legitimacy and authority 16 Studying Integration Policy 19 A short explanation of the Dutch case 19 The methods to study policy 25 Anthropological research in a policy world 28 Set-up 36 1. The Integration Policy: Creating Order 39 1.1 Foreigners in the Dutch nation state: 1950-1980 42 1.1.1 The temporary reception of migrants 42 1.1.2 Administering diversification 46 1.2 Integrating ethnic minorities: 1980-1990 51 1.2.1 The Minorities Policy: political assumptions and policy measures 51 1.2.2 A bureaucratic outsider and political symbol 59 1.3 “We really had to get serious”: 1990-2000 65 1.3.1 The Integration Policy: politics translated in policy 65 1.3.2 A continuing weak position and growing political importance 73 1.4 A radical shift? 2000-present 78 1.4.1 The Integration Policy New Style 78 1.4.2 The Directorate in volatile political times 75 1.5 Conclusion 92 vii VII 2. From Politics to Policy: The Creation of Inburgering Legislation 95 2.1 “Repairing faults of the past” 97 2.1.1 Defining who is “in need of inburgering” 1 2.1.2 reating a technical system 112 2.2 system to channel anxieties and debate 12 2.2.1 “Turning a language test into an integration exam” 123 2.2.1.1 Defining again, who is in need of inburgering 124 2.2.1.2 Rendering the system more technical 133 2.2.2 djusting the inburgering system, for whom? 13 2.3 onclusion 14 3. “Up the Line”: Authorizing Policy Texts 151 3.1 The line constitutes bureaucracy 154 3.2 The line disciplines officials in writing policy texts 1 3.3 The line unites interests 1 3.3.1 onflicting interests 1 3.3.2 ligning politics and policy 13 3.4 The line authorizes and legitimizes 1 3.5 onclusion 15 4. “We’re all Professionals”: How Civil Servants Deal with Political Volatility 197 4.1 Professionalizing the Directorate 2 4.2 bective advisors 2 4.3 Having “affinity with society” 21 4.4 Being there “for the long run” 223 4.5 “Playing the game” as a professional 22 4.6 onclusion 23 Conclusion 241 The contentious production of state authority 24 viii VIII Bibliography 253 References policy documents 2 rchives 2 Public chronologically ordered) 2 ppendix 23 ppendix 1. overnments and inisters responsible for the ntegration Policy 23 ppendix 2. Directorate 24 ame director and institutional location 24 Budget 25 ummary 2 amenvatting 23 cnowledgements 2 bout the author 21 ix IX List of abbreviations and acronyms Dutch name Translation ACVZ Adviescommissie voor Advisory Commission on Migration Affairs, advises Dutch vreemdelingenzaken government and Parliament ARP Anti-Revolutionaire Partij Anti-Revolutionary Party, Dutch conservative Christian arty, merged into CDA in 1980 BZK Mininsterie van Ministry of Interior and Kingdom relations Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties CAOP Centrum voor Centre for Labour Relations and Government Personnel Arbeidsverhoudingen Overheidspersoneel CBS Centraal Bureau voor de Statistics Netherlands Statistiek CDA Christen Democratisch Christian Democratic Appeal, Dutch Christian-democratic Appèl party CU Christen Unie Christian Union, Dutch Christian party D66 Politieke Partij Democraten Democrats ’66, Dutch Progressive liberal party ’66 DCM Directie Coördinatie Directorate Coordination of Minorities Policy Minderhedenbeleid FvD Forum voor Democratie Forum for Democracy, Dutch conservative party GPV Gereformeerd Politiek Reformed Political Alliance, former Dutch conservative Verbond Christian party GL GroenLinks GreenLeft, Dutch progressive green party IBG Informatiebeheer Groep Information Administration Group, government agency that implemented education policy. ICM Interdepartementale Interdepartmental Commission Minorities, administrative Commissie Minderheden body in which high ranking civil servants from various departments prepared decision making for the cabinet IND Immigratie en Immigration and Naturalisation Service, government Naturalisatiedienst agency that assesses all applications from foreign nationals who want to live in the Netherlands or want to become Dutch citizens IPI Interdepartementale Interdepartmental Project group Inburgering, Projectgroep Inburgering administrative body (preparing decision making for the ICM) active during the creation of the Newcomer Inburgering Act KVP Katholieke Volkspartij Catholic People’s Party, merged into CDA in 1980 LPF Lijst Pim Fortuyn List Pim Fortuyn, Dutch conservative party founded by Pim Fortuyn NCB Nederlands Centrum Dutch Centre for Foreigners, organisation that assists Buitenlanders foreign nationals during their stay in the Netherlands PPR Politieke Partij Radikalen Political Party Radicals, Dutch progressive party, merged into GreenLeft in 1991 PvdA Partij van de Arbeid “Labour Party,” Dutch Social-Democratic party PVV Partij voor de Vrijheid “Party for Freedom, Dutch conservative party founded by Geert Wilders NGO Non-Gouvernmentele Non-Governmental Organization Organisatie RMO Raad voor Maatschappelijke Council for Societal Development, advises Dutch Ontwikkeling government and Parliament RPF Reformatorische Politieke Reformed Political Federation, Dutch conservative Federatie Christian party, merged into CU in 2001 x X SCP Sociaal an Cultureel Te Netherlands Institute for Soal esearch Planbureau SGP Staatkundig Gereformeerde Poltical Refored Party, Dutch oseratie Chrstan Partij party SP Socialitische Partij Dutch Soalst Party SZW Ministerie van Sociale Minstry of Soal Affars ad Employent Zaken en Werkgelegenheid TI Taskforce Inburgering Adminstrative body reated to improe inburerng legslatio UAF Stichting voor Vluchteling Unersty Asylum Fu, Dutch orgasato asssting Studenten UAF (Universitair reuees th study ad or Asiel Fonds) VON Vluchtelingen-Organisaties Reugees rganatos in te Netherlands Nederland VVD Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en People’s Party for Freeom ad emoray, utch Democratie oseratie lberal party Wob Wet Openbaarheid Bestuur Goernment Inforaton Public Access) At WODC Wetenschappelijk esearh ad oumentaton Cetre of te Minstry of Onderzoek- en ustice. Documentatiecentrum WOM Wet Landelijk Overleg La for Natonal minorties osultatio platform Minderheden WRR Wetenschappelijke Raad Te Netherlands Scientific ouncil for Governet Policy voor het Regeringsbeleid xi XI Text boxes, figures and images Tet o 1.1 Polcy interventios p 57 Tet o 1.2 Inedepetal struggles p 61 Tet o 1.3 Cotinuatio of policy p 70 Tet o 1.4 Culuralst interventios p 81 Tet o 1.5 Reet policies reslt and eet p 86 Tet o 2.1 Teporary bureratic oganizatios p 125 Tet o 2.2 Inburgering Aboad Act p 131 Tet o 3.1 Te pocess of policy making p 155 Tet o 3.2 “The line” eae in Parliaet p 192 Figure 3.1 A sort erson of “the line” p 158 Figure 3.2 A long erson of “the line” p 161 Image 3.1 ee of Miniser Veo p 166 Image 3.2 Publcation of the Inburgeing Act p 168 xii XII On Studying the Effects of Policy and State Introduction: On Studying the Effects of Policy and State This dissertation explores the ways in which state neutrality and political power interrelate in the process of policy making. It describes how civil servants working in a ministry collectively produce policies that are aimed at the “integration” of migrants, and citizens “with a migration background”, in the Netherlands. By studying the procedures, practices, and people that make up this bureaucratic organization and the policy outcomes it develops, I examine how state authority is socially produced. I do so through an analysis of the mechanisms that objectify policy making, clarifying how political decisions are translated into seemingly rational, legal, impersonal, technical, and definite policy measures that represent legitimate state power. In this way, this thesis elucidates how the state is constructed as an apolitical entity, as if above politics and the society it governs and deriving its legitimacy from this neutral nature, while at the same time it is inherently political. Various anthropologists have analyzed the state as a cultural artefact that is constantly produced in everyday practices