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The Christian Democrats, Sweden Democrats, Liberals and Moderate Parties have put forward an agreement called Tidöavtalet that proposes ‘inspection-zones’ to tackle gang-related crime in Sweden´s so-called "vulnerable areas". Furthermore, these ‘vulnerable areas’ are usually residential areas with low socio-economic status, high unemployment, ethnic diversity, and a significantly higher criminal presence than other areas in society. The proposal entails that law enforcement obtain the right to "stop and search" anyone within a specific geographic area without having to demonstrate whether there are any suspicions of that person having committed any crimes. Previous research shows that "inspection-zones" are not a new concept for combating gang-related crime, as it reveals that ethnic racial profiling occurs during ‘stop and search’ in countries such as the U.S., France and Denmark. It is unclear how ‘inspection-zones’ in Sweden will be implemented in these residential areas and how this proposal can ensure that it will not lead to discrimination or unequal treatment towards certain ethnic groups.

This essay seeks to understand how securitization in these vulnerable areas, particularly immigrant-populated areas, impacts the daily lives of people who live there. The purpose of this essay is to analyze how securitization of urban spaces and social relations shapes subjectivities, behaviours, and relationships among those portrayed as threats to society. The essay will examine how residents experience police measures and their areas by interviewing young men between 18-35 with a foreign background in two so-called ‘vulnerable areas’ in Sweden. Furthermore, the theoretical framework consists of three perspectives: racism, stigmatization and power. These theoretical tools in this essay help gain a better understanding of how increased security measures can affect people who live in these residential areas. The conclusions show that people in these residential areas with an ethnic background believe that they have become scapegoats for social problems, such as gang-related crimes. Political parties legitimize the proposal of increased police measures, such as ‘inspection-zones’ with the aim of reducing organized crime, but this becomes an issue when ethnic groups perceive it as discriminatory. According to the findings, the presence of police in these residential areas has led to increased mistrust and stigmatization rather than security or safety. It is important that the state and people of these residential areas work together to find sustainable solutions that respect human rights.