The discourse of asylum seekers : A discourse analysis of the construction of asylum seekers in Helsingborgs Dagblad and Dagens Nyheter

The aim of this study was to examine the discourse of asylum seekers in Sweden from January 2009 to December 2013 in the newspapers Helsingborgs Dagblad and Dagens Nyheter. By using discourse analysis as a theory and method, combined with the theory of orientalism, I have analysed and compared news articles from these two newspapers. The findings of the study shows that asylum seekers are often portrayed as a group rather than individuals. Included in the group identity are several subgroups, for example asylum seekers are portrayed as victims, as a cost to society and as a highly suspect group that cannot be controlled. Furthermore, asylum seekers are depicted as “the other” in contrast to the Swedish “we”, where differences in culture and tradition are frequently mentioned. The analysis also highlights the differences between what the two newspapers believe are the main difficulties in taking in asylum seekers into the community. Whereas articles in the nationwide Dagens Nyheter see the resistance in municipalities as the major problem, the local newspaper Helsingborgs Dagblad describes how municipalities are being forced to take in asylum seekers even though they do not have the resources to manage them.