In 2018, the Danish government introduced a so-called paradigm shift in the Danish immigration policy, implying a stronger emphasis on repatriation to the country of origin than on integration. However, this policy can also be seen as a continuation of the restrictive immigration policies in Denmark during the last decades. In this presentation, we apply a perspective of risks being socially produced (Beck 1992, 2009) on the possible relations between immigration policies and education of migrant children in Denmark. The risk perspective is twofold, as we both study how migration is problematized as a risk in the official Danish governmental policies (Kohl, 2015), and whether and how the very same policies constitute a risk in education according to narratives of experts and stakeholders in the field. The study builds on analysis of policy documents and 15 interviews with experts and stakeholders in the field of education of migrant children in Denmark. The policy analysis looks at current Danish migration and integration policies in general as well as policies on education of migrant children. The analysis will be supplemented with insights from recent studies of public attitudes towards migration issues in Denmark in the media and the public discourse. The interviews focus on how experts (such as NGO representatives) and school principals describe challenges of integration of migrant children, with special regard to a child-centered approach (Fattore, Mason & Watson, 2009; Wen, Hui & Kay, 2011). Though migration policies claim that migrants should return to their countries of origin, schools must still support inclusion of migrant students. The outcome of the study is a discussion of whether and how the construction of migration as a risk in immigration policies influences the possibilities for practicing inclusive education according to school principals of schools receiving migrant children. Hence, we explore whether and how official policies and public discourses on immigration constitute a risk factor, contributing to conditions of uncertainty, in the everyday work in schools, according to narratives of school principals.

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