This article examines the role of DNA testing in immigration management practices in which individuals and their kin relationships are modified as objects of investigation: defined, categorised and “made up” (Hacking in Historical ontology, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 2002) as families. Analysis focuses on the interplay of documents (or lack thereof), narratives and DNA analysis that produces evidentiary facts and knowledge about migrants and, simultaneously, forges relationships between individuals, families and other collectives. Analysis of the Finnish administrative and legal data concerning family reunification shows that DNA testing does much more than just provide evidence of the existence of a genetic tie between alleged family members; testing can also be translated into proof of ‘true’ families or extended to test the credibility of the applicants. Via translations and extensions, the accuracy of DNA analysis is intertwined with the contingencies of decision-making in the context of immigration management. Related to this, the article demonstrates that DNA testing supports the process by which immigration authorities in the Global North constitute the family as contingent, indefinite and even arbitrary, rather than consolidating a clear and solid model of eligibility for family reunification.

中文翻译：

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组建家庭：DNA 分析如何/不验证芬兰家庭团聚的相关性

本文探讨了 DNA 测试在移民管理实践中的作用，在这些实践中，个人及其亲属关系被修改为调查对象：定义、分类和“编造”（Hacking in Historical Onology，哈佛大学出版社，剑桥，2002 年）作为家庭. 分析侧重于文件（或缺乏文件）、叙述和 DNA 分析的相互作用，这些分析产生关于移民的证据事实和知识，同时在个人、家庭和其他集体之间建立关系。对芬兰有关家庭团聚的行政和法律数据的分析表明，DNA 检测的作用远不止提供证据，证明所谓的家庭成员之间存在遗传联系；测试也可以转化为“真实”家庭的证明或扩展到测试申请人的可信度。通过翻译和扩展，DNA 分析的准确性与移民管理背景下的决策偶然性交织在一起。与此相关的是，文章表明 DNA 检测支持了全球北部移民当局将家庭视为偶然、无限甚至任意的过程，而不是巩固一个明确而可靠的家庭团聚资格模型。