You have full access to this open access chapter. The third chapter uses ethnographic and online research to examine place-branding initiatives supported by Swiss cantons to attract, welcome, and retain immigrants who are perceived as valuable. Nevertheless, actors in charge of economic promotion develop strategies to foster regional development by creating services that directly target the most profitable companies. Some highly educated immigrants also participate in these political processes by mobilising their cultural, social, and economic capital in order to advocate for more recognition from the state.
Although their main goal is to raise awareness about the difficulties that they experienced when moving to Switzerland, their claims also challenge traditional perceptions of belonging, since they substitute nationality with economic contribution as a legitimate factor for defining state responsibilities towards them. Moreover, they insist that their cultural capital defines their value and legitimacy to participate as local residents.
These claims contribute to making the needs of newcomers more visible, but also reproduce the idea of a normative distinction between more and less deserving immigrants. This field research was conducted in collaboration with Metka Hercog.
This section is partly based on that presentation. I think that everything that is financed by the state must not necessarily be completely transparent. Philippe Monnier You have full access to this open access chapter, Download chapter PDF.
In addition to continuing the discussion on the conceptualisations of highly skilled migrants in Switzerland, this chapter provides an analysis of the way different levels of state administrations collaborate with private sector institutions.
