*Article* **Governing Migration through COVID-19? Dutch Political and Media Discourse in Times of a Pandemic**

**Maartje Van Der Woude \* and Nanou Van Iersel**

> Van Vollenhoven Institute for Law, Governance & Society, Leiden Law School, P.O. Box 9520, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; n.van.iersel@law.leidenuniv.nl

**\*** Correspondence: m.a.h.vanderwoude@law.leidenuniv.nl

**Abstract:** This article explores the political and media discourse in The Netherlands around COVID-19 and migration. In so doing, it asks to what extent the dynamics of 'governing COVID-19 through migration' are visible in this discourse. By asking this question, the article builds upon the theoretical frameworks of 'governing through crime' and 'governing through migration control'. Both theoretical frameworks place a strong emphasis on the role of discourse in framing certain social phenomena as a threat, concern or risk. By carrying out a discourse analysis on Dutch political and media debates around COVID-19 and migration in the period 1 January 2020–1 November 2021, the article illustrates that despite the linking of migration and crime not only being very visible but also seemingly normalized in this discourse, the links made between COVID-19 and migration were much more nuanced. Furthermore, although COVID-19 and migration were discussed together, the discourse does not show any evidence of governing COVID-19 through migration by using the pandemic to push for very restrictive migration laws targeting only 'vagabonds' while still allowing the mobility of 'tourists').

**Keywords:** governing through migration; COVID-19; crimmigration; The Netherlands; discourse
