Caught in the activation roundabout. Migrant experiences of activated temporariness in Norwegian labour market governance

Bibliographic Data

ID24226129
AuthorsKarianne Nyheim Stray (0000-0002-8348-544X, University of South-Eastern Norway), OLE JACOB THOMASSEN (0000-0001-6475-2824, University of South-Eastern Norway), Cathrine Seierstad (0000-0002-1283-9378, University of South-Eastern Norway)
Year2026
Pages1-21
Publication date2026-04-15
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueNew Community (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0047-9586 • E-ISSN: 1469-9451
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1369183x.2026.2656498
OpenAlexW7154510755
LanguageEN
References cited35

Migrant participation in the labour market is vital to their well-being and integration, while also supporting states' labour needs and reducing welfare pressures. However, the understanding of migrants’ own experiences of labour-market inclusion in host countries remains limited. This article examines how first-generation non-EU migrants in Norway experience labour-market inclusion, focusing on state-led activation policies within Norwegian migration governance. Drawing on qualitative interviews, we find that migrants feel rushed, left waiting in limbo, parked, or working in intervals while moving in circles. We use the metaphor of a roundabout to illustrate how these experiences contrast with the linear progression assumed in activation measures. Our analysis suggests that activation policies tend to generate persistent rather than productive activity, and that this activity does not necessarily lead to sustainable employment. We thus argue that migrants’ experiences of labour-market inclusion are characterised by a state of activated temporariness – a condition in which participation in required activities facilitates short-term work relations but offers limited pathways to sustainable employment. This dynamic reinforces precarity rather than alleviating it. The article contributes to research on the civic turn in migration governance by demonstrating how policies intended to enhance employability may paradoxically restrict migrants’ access to sustainable employment.

activation policy · civic integration · first-generation immigrants · non-EU immigrants · Precarity · sustainable employment · temporariness · Welfare state · Employment, Labor, and Gender Studies · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Refugees, and Integration

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