Mobilization against Asylum Seekers in Contemporary Urban Spaces : Not in Our Backyard

This book investigates the issue of local mobilization against asylum seekers in urban areas, which are often disproportionally affected by complex issues related to immigration and integration, as well as socio-economic development and growing inequalities. Based on ethnographic research in the city of Rotterdam, it explores the conditions under which mobilization against the establishment of an asylum seekers’ centre emerged, offering a combined analysis of interviews, social media, and mainstream media to demonstrate the key role played by storytelling in the development of opposition to the arrival of asylum seekers. Presenting a theoretical model of anti-immigration mobilization that connects the social importance of storytelling to broader socio-political developments and conditions, this volume will appeal to scholars of sociology, anthropology, and politics with interests in migration, social movements, and mobilization around contentious issues.