The Problem of Dependency: Immigration, Gender, and the Welfare State

Abstract

This article discusses the regulation of marriage immigration to Norway through an analysis of the subsistence requirement, a rule entailing that a person who wants to bring a spouse to Norway must achieve a certain level of income. Policy makers present two main arguments for this regulation. First, the subsistence requirement is a means to prevent forced marriage. Second, its aim is to prevent family immigrants from becoming a burden on welfare budgets. The major concern of both these arguments is that of dependency, either on the family or on the welfare state. The article investigates the problem representations underpinning this specific policy proposal and argues that the rule in question and immigration policy more generally, should be analysed in relation to the broader concerns and aims of welfare state policy and gender equality policy.