Informal Policing of the Internal Border

Xenophobic violence by non-state actors can be considered as a form of informal policing of the internal border in contemporary urban environments. As such, it contributes to the ubiquitous boundaries that face perceived migrants and racialized minorities in the conduct of everyday life. Drawing on a unique dataset of xenophobically motivated interpersonal violence in Stockholm between 2009 and 2022, this essay maps out the spatiotemporal pattern of these boundaries. Rather than serving as a “defense” of ethnically homogenous neighborhoods, xenophobic violence is practiced throughout the urban environment, severely limiting victims’ safety and mobility.