Abstract
Imitation of prime movers and learning of advantageous effects underlined the diffusion of outsourcing visa services. This latter modifies visa policy outcomes and outputs in ways that are under the radar of public scrutiny. The visa application process is transformed into an issue of smooth flow management, which produces exclusion, violence, and indifference. Managing tension is the main skill required of frontline workers. Novel work routines deflect the responsibility of the visa application process and of problems caused by private actors’ uses of frontline policy discretion towards visa applicants. Such recipients of non-state control are more disciplined, uncertain, dominated, and more deprived of coping mechanisms. Because it is known at both national and EU levels, private contractors’ bureaucratic policy-making is formal and authorized.
It has to be extremely clear that our customer is the embassy not the applicants. We are polite, we give them a place to sit, but they are not our customers.
Rani, VFSGlobal Business Developer
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Notes
- 1.
Le retard pris par les consulats français dans l’externalisation des tâches annexes n’ait pas permis de faire émerger un « champion français » dans ce domaine, alors que certaines sociétés françaises sont par ailleurs très compétitives dans le secteur des centres d’appel. L’externalisation des tâches administratives annexes finira par gagner l’ensemble des services publics en France, et pas seulement les consulats. Lorsque des marchés d’externalisation seront lancés sur le territoire national, il est en conséquence à craindre qu’ils ne soient remportés par des sociétés américaines ou indiennes, qui auront bénéficié́ de l’expérience acquise avec les consulats, britanniques tout d’abord, et désormais français. Rapport d’information fait au nom de la commission des Finances, du contrôle budgétaire et des comptes économiques de la Nation sur les services des visas, no. 353, p. 80. Available at: http://www.senat.fr/rap/r06-353/r06-353.html Accessed on 11/10/2012.
- 2.
Exchange of statistical information on visas issued and refused. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/visa-policy/index_en.htm
- 3.
I will extensively discuss this point in Chapter 3, section New Public Management: a legitimizing frame for official discourses.
- 4.
J’ai lu attentivement les mentions ci-dessous, j’ai pris connaissance du risque accru de refus et je souhaite abandonner ma demande de visa/légalisation et me faire rembourser les frais de dossier de demande de visa. Je suis informé que les frais de service TLSContact ne me seront pas remboursés.
- 5.
Source: http://www.iom.int/news/temporary-enrolment-location-opens-ecuador-help-people-travelling-uk Accessed on 15/08/2015.
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Infantino, F. (2016). Outsourcing in Practice. In: Outsourcing Border Control . Mobility & Politics. Palgrave Pivot, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-46984-7_2
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