Making political citizens? Migrants’ narratives of naturalization in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Citizenship tests are arguably intended as moments of hailing, or interpellation, through which norms are internalized and citizensubjects produced. We analyse the multiple political subjects revealed through migrants' narratives of the citizenship test process, drawing on 158 interviews with migrants in Leicester and London who are at different stages in the UK citizenship test process. In dialogue with three counter-figures in the critical naturalization literature-the 'neoliberal citizen'; the 'anxious citizen'; and the 'heroic citizen'-we propose the figure of the 'citizen-negotiator' , a socially situated actor who attempts to assert control over their life as they navigate the test process and state power. Through the focus on negotiation, we see migrants navigating a process of differentiation founded on preexisting inequalities rather than a journey toward transformation.

Immigrant meanings of citizenship: mobility, stability, and recognition

“…As some scholars have argued (e.g. Bassel, Monforte, and Khan 2018;Pogonyi 2018), and as the findings in this study supports, material meanings of citizenship may exist alongside emotional and symbolic ones.…”

“…Based on a heterogeneous sample of immigrants, in terms of country of origin, migration trajectory, legal status (naturalized citizens/denizens), 'race' and ethnicity, this study contributes empirically to the growing literature on the 'experiencing side' (Bassel, Monforte, and Khan 2018) of citizenship and naturalization by exploring sense-making among different groups of immigrants. Theoretically, it contributes by showing that decisions to naturalize are not exclusively driven by 'strategic' deliberations.…”

The UK Citizenship Process: Political Integration or Marginalization?

“…There is some excellent qualitative work exploring participants' perceptions of the process (e.g. Bassel et al, 2018;Byrne, 2017;Fortier, 2017;Monforte et al, 2018). This article focuses specifically on consequences for political engagement among immigrants who become UK citizens via these requirements.…”

Naturalization policies, citizenship regimes, and the regulation of belonging in anxious societies

“…As a matter of fact, few empirical studies have focused on how the introduction of measures such as the citizenship test and the citizenship ceremonies has been experienced by migrants who now have to face a longer, more difficult, more expensive and uncertain process to become citizens in the country in which they live. One of the aims of this special issue is to contribute to the literature about the lived experience of the naturalisation process and – more generally – an approach that aims to analyse ‘citizenship from below’ (Aptekar, 2015; Bassel et al., 2018; Leitner and Ehrkamp, 2006; Miller-Idriss, 2006; Monforte et al., 2019). The review of this literature leads to underline three main ideas, which we develop throughout the special issue.…”

“…These ambivalences show that the way migrants experience naturalisation policies remains difficult to measure. More generally, these ambivalences show the complexity of how policy instruments such as the citizenship tests and ceremonies are perceived and negotiated by migrants in the course of their experience (Bassel et al., 2018).…”