ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examineS how Nordic bordering practises have changed parenthood and families. It shows that borders are understood as “locations which produce the experiences of displacement and marginality as well as belonging and participation”. An ideological shift and global economic crisis since 2008 have created tensions for the modern welfare state, which has been the centre of Nordic policies since the late 1970s. As a consequence, Nordic countries tightened their laws and policies for granting asylum and reuniting refugees’ families, along with many other European countries. Scholars suggest that this will eventually lead to an increased number of undocumented migrants, which may have unforeseen consequences for the Nordic welfare states. Since the mid-1970s, humanitarian migration started in all Nordic countries. They all have resettled refugees under the United Nation’s programme based on annual quotas.
