Simon Roland Birkvad

Simon Roland Birkvad is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Bergen, Norway. His research focuses on legal and social dimensions of citizenship, asylum, and migration, with a particular emphasis on Scandinavia. He is currently leading a project on the legal archaeology of asylum litigation, analyzing how expert knowledge and legal tactics shape outcomes in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

• Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
• Institution: University of Bergen
• Department: Department of Social Anthropology
• Email: simon.birkvad@uib.no

His research interests lie at the intersection of sociology, legal anthropology, and migration studies. He investigates how citizenship is granted, contested, and revoked, particularly in the context of post-2015 immigration policies. His work explores the lived experiences of individuals facing denaturalization, the emotional and social consequences of legal insecurity, and the broader political narratives surrounding belonging and exclusion. He employs qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews with migrants and analysis of parliamentary debates and legal documents.

His recent publications reveal a strong trend in examining the moral and legal boundaries of citizenship in Norway. Articles such as 'Sinners, saints, and racialized scapegoats' and 'Circles of alienation' delve into the subjective experiences of those accused of citizenship fraud, revealing complex identity negotiations under state pressure. His work also addresses policy impacts, as seen in studies on revocation of refugee permits and hate speech experiences among minorities. He contributes to public discourse through chronicles in major Norwegian outlets like Aftenposten and Klassekampen.

Scientific Awards:

• No scientific awards or fellowships mentioned in the provided text.

Simon Roland Birkvad has been involved in research projects funded by the Research Council of Norway and has collaborated with key institutions such as the Institute for Social Research (ISF), PRIO (Peace Research Institute Oslo), and the University of Oslo. His doctoral work laid the foundation for his current postdoc, focusing on the re-emergence of citizenship deprivation in Norway. He has contributed to major comparative reports on Nordic citizenship and continues to influence academic and public debates on migration and belonging.

He is affiliated with the ASYKNOW project (Contested Knowledges in and through Asylum Litigation), which investigates how different forms of knowledge are mobilized in asylum courts. This project underscores his commitment to understanding the epistemic dimensions of legal decision-making in migration contexts.