Paper short abstract:

How local bureaucrats influence the bordering process within cities? How their intervention keep people "in but out" in a permanent sense of temporality and insecurity that alienates them?

Paper long abstract:

We intend to identify how local bureaucrats influence the bordering process within cities in order to remove unwanted EU citizens, Barcelona case.

In the case of precarious Roma citizens from Romania, they can live in the same city for more than six years, but without having access to basic rights. At the same time, social programs promoted by the municipality and NGOs target them in order to have access to services and at the same time control them. Which is the role of the ordinary social worker in maintaining-contesting this daily exclusion?

Nevertheless, the access to rights is determined (or denied) by going through a "merit-based corridor" designed by the local bureaucrats according to "values and duties" which translate to validation. Access to rights is transformed in an arbitrary selection process managed by social workers who impose the fulfilment of a "labour plan", an evaluation process which splits the citizens between those who deserve to use their rights and those who do not. Arbitrariness derived from the legislative hassle can be accentuated by the willingness and interpretation of the local bureaucrats who decide who will get "in" and who will be punished remaining outside. The constant surveillance, the bureaucratic timing and the lack of access to resources combined with delayed interventions result in long periods of instability and uncertainty. The permanent sense of temporality and insecurity alienates people. This "in but out" situation keeps people in a permanent movement between Spain and Romania (or other different countries).