Framing the Swiss media discourse on operation Papyrus and undocumented migrants

Author(s) : Ana Quijano

Source : https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:149846

“In early 2017, “Operation Papyrus”, was introduced to the general public, a political project that would allow the regularization of undocumented workers in the canton of Geneva. After more than fifteen years of lobbying and negotiations by associations, NGOs and labor unions, Papyrus was approved and operating for a trial period of two years. Generally well-received, the project gave undocumented migrants a clear guideline to enter the regularization process while putting in place a campaign to fight against the informal labor market, specifically targeting employers of domestic workers. Since Papyrus ended in December 2018, the project continues to be a topic of discussion in the whole of the Confederation, seen as either a policy to be recreated and built upon in other regions, or as a risky model to avoid. Since the project was not voted on by the population, the public sphere debates have mainly taken place through the media and the press, the main sources of information and opinion for Papyrus. Bringing in key institutional and government actors as the main contributors, journalists and the media have framed the development of Papyrus, and the debate around it, during its two-year lifespan.“