Representations of ‘Other’ Immigrants in the Agendas of Politicians of Immigrant Background: A Content Analysis on the Case of the Netherlands

A growing literature in Western Europe investigates the role of immigrant minority politicians in representing voters with whom they share similar backgrounds. However, not much has been said on the possible contributions of those minority representatives in framing other sorts of immigrants. This research examines how Members of the Parliament (MPs) of immigrant minority origin frame asylum related and other kinds of immigration in their parliamentary work. This is a significant research question as it sheds light upon immigration related policy perspectives constructed by those who themselves have immigrant backgrounds. To answer this question, the researcher conducted a content analysis on parliamentary questions posted by MPs with migratory backgrounds. The paper particularly focuses on differences between representatives with migratory backgrounds by considering party ideology, gender and ethnic identity starting from early 2000’s. The qualitative nature of the research allows space to reveal unforeseen (intersections of) explanatory factors. The Dutch case has been particularly selected for its tradition of group representation under the notion of multiculturalism.