This open access book provides an analysis of the functioning consequences and inherent
limitations of internalised immigration control. By adopting the perspective of irregular
residents as well as local service providers the book sheds new light on the intricate
mechanisms that either help or hinder the diffusion of immigration control into concrete
institutional settings like schools or hospitals. A simple and innovative analytical framework
enables the systematic comparison of three different spheres of service provision across two
distinct local as well as also national contexts. This is necessary to understand the complex
interplay between formal law and policy the intrinsic rules and logics operating within
institutions and the ethical or practical obligations and constraints attached to particular
roles and professions. Based on empirical findings and rigorous analysis the book argues that
internalised control is part of the problem that irregular migration poses for society rather
than constituting a potential solution to it.
