Racism in and for the Welfare State

This book analyses politics, practices, and discourses of welfare racism against immigrants under neoliberalism. As an instrument of selection, exclusion, exploitation, and stigmatisation, welfare racism is a distinguishing feature of anti-immigrant racism which has gained new momentum over the last decades. The strength and persistence of this form of racism are linked to several factors, including the colonial roots of the welfare state, racism’s structural position in modern society, the intrinsic limits of social rights in capitalism, and migration policies that are almost always punitive in nature. Rich in documents and historical perspective, this book presents a global analysis of racism within and in the name of the welfare state. It examines discriminatory laws, measures, and practices by state actors and discourses by public figures and organizations, demonstrating the ways these developments are related to the dismantling of the welfare state in the neoliberal era, and to the war on labour and social rights. Integrating perspectives from Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Perocco highlights welfare racism as a global and structured phenomenon producing inequalities and concerning labour as a whole.