Neoliberal Governmentality and Consular Outsourcing: An Analysis on Visa Processing Arrangements
Öz
Since the 2000s, consular services have not been the only arena that fits into the government’s
responsibility. This paper examines how the state transfers visa services to private companies that
manage millions of visa applications each year. A theoretical focus on “governmentality” was undertaken
by examining the discourses that shape the meaning, processes, and power configuration of consular
outsourcing. Employing a content analysis, this study examines how political rationalities of governments
are reflected in their discourses in terms of global visa policies, as well as how these discourses are
embodied in public documents as technical devices. Based on analysis of tender documents, service
level agreements, and the service providers’ disclaimer statements, this study examines the role of
governments and service providers, their thought processes, mechanisms, practices, and processes
in the operationalization of consular outsourcing. This paper reveals three main outcomes. First, the
change of political rationalities in visa policies pointed to a change in discourse (from visa restriction to
visa liberalization), yet the visa processes have not liberalized or facilitated, and this discourse change
only resulted in the inclusion of new actors, practices, and processes. Second, consular outsourcing
created gaps in/between responsibility and accountability of governments and service providers to
individuals. Third, these gaps entail depoliticization, individualization, and insecuritization in a
neoliberal form and create concerns regarding responsibility and accountability. In light of this content
analysis provided with this paper, a new area of politics that emerges with neoliberal governmentalism
detaches individuals from the legal-political sphere and produces enterprise individuals who will
become responsible for any risks associated with visa applications. This process signifies a policy that
constructs the political rationalities of the state and individual based on the market principles. As such,
depoliticization as a strategy of neoliberal governmentality becomes the central device of individual
political rationality that is established visa processing arrangements.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Kaynakça
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Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
Siyaset Bilimi
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yazarlar
Ebru Tekin Bilbil
Bu kişi benim
Yayımlanma Tarihi
4 Nisan 2018
Gönderilme Tarihi
4 Aralık 2017
Kabul Tarihi
17 Şubat 2018
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2018 Cilt: 6 Sayı: 1