A Qualitative Content Analysis of How Vulnerable Eu- Citizens Are Portrayed in Swedish Media

Abstract

On 30 April 2004 The Eu Directive 2004/38/Ec Entered Into Force And Defined Eu-citizens’ right to free movement within the European Union. This directive gives EUcitizens the right to move freely between member states in up to three months. In order to reside for a longer period, the EU-citizens must comply to a certain set of rules and qualifications. They must either be employed, registered as students or possess enough economic capital so that neither themselves nor their family risk being a burden on the social assistance system of the host member state. The directive sets up a legal framework where individuals not qualifying are theoretically experiencing their movement somewhat restricted. Furthermore, the people not qualifying within the directive’s requirements are at risk of being depicted as unwanted EU-citizens in political discourses. In this article I examine this phenomenon with a specific focus on the group vulnerable EU-citizens in Sweden and how they are portrayed in Swedish media.