Citizenship, Biopolitics and Policy on Foreigners: Research on a Vulnerable Immigrant Group from Morocco in Barcelona

Abstract

This paper aims to define how the administrative situations generated by immigration legislation, together with  institutional racism, create  asymmetric conditions for people of Moroccan origin to access their rights in Spain. This research analyses ten semi-structured interviews with Moroccan individuals in Barcelona to give a voice to their experiences and opinions. The article builds on these narratives to show how biopolitical  mechanisms of control are applied to immigrant  populations in Spain, creating, therefore, a legal hierarchy of different forms of citizenship and sub-citizenship. This hierarchy, linked to racist factors, would determine how these people access the labour market, resources, and essential services. This is particularly true for immigrants in irregular situations, who often face conditions of extreme exclusion and vulnerability.