Belonging in a welfare state: Greek and Greek Cypriot immigrants in Denmark

ABSTRACT

A central question in migration studies concerns how communities of belonging can exist beyond communities of identity. Drawing from ethnographic fieldwork with Greek and Greek Cypriot immigrants in Denmark and theoretical discussions on “translocational belongings”, this article suggests that security, equality and a sense of ownership are key factors that contribute towards an enhanced a sense of belonging premised on solidarity, even in the presence of cultural differences related to identity. Migrant belongings, it is further suggested, should not only be treated as plural but also as comparative vis-à-vis the country of origin. The immigrants’ narratives often focussed on comparisons between Denmark with Greece or Cyprus emphasizing how their interactions with the Danish welfare state contributed to a, comparatively-speaking, more profound sense of belonging in Denmark. Yet, the rise of anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric, along with the persistent challenges to the welfare state, have led to rising feelings of alienation.

KEYWORDS:

• Immigration
• belonging
• welfare state
• Denmark
• Greeks
• Greek Cypriots

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank all those among the Greek and Greek Cypriot immigrants in Denmark who graciously gave me their time for their patience and help in many different ways. I thank the Department of Anthropology at the University of Copenhagen for kindly hosting me during the periods of fieldwork of Copenhagen and providing opportunities for many useful discussions. I also thank the two anonymous reviewers for their useful comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 See the OECD report on income inequality (https://data.oecd.org/inequality/income-inequality.htm) and the European Institute for Gender Equality on gender inequality (https://eige.europa.eu/gender-equality-index).

2 Overall, the issue of “entry into the community” which is the main anthropological challenge was not particularly difficult as people helped by introducing me to one another.

3 The city of Copenhagen, it should be noted, includes four municipalities (Copenhagen, Frederiskberg, Tarnby and Dragor).

4 When I or the immigrants speak of “Cyprus”, this refers to the Greek Cypriot-controlled southern side of divided Cyprus, namely the Republic of Cyprus.

5 For the different responsibilities of the three levels of decentralized governance in Denmark (central government, region and municipality) see https://portal.cor.europa.eu/divisionpowers/Pages/Denmark-Introduction.aspx

6 Even more, however, said that being “Greek” carried positive rather than negative connotations due to the travels of many Danes to Greece and the positive associations with ancient Greece in the Danish educational system.