Who Counts as Foreign? Foreign Employment between Legislation and Public Discourse – the Case of the Drava Banovina

The article examines the legislation and public discourse surrounding the employment of foreign workers in the Drava Banovina during the interwar period. It outlines the key characteristics of the relevant legislation and, on this basis, shows how various conditions shaped varying opportunities for different groups of applicants to obtain work permits. The article also analyses the discourse on foreign employment and on who was identified as a foreigner. Drawing on this analysis, it asks whether the legal and discursive category of the “foreigner” is uniform and, if not, in what ways differences emerge within each of them.