This article examines how professional responsibility in the context of the operation of asylum centres is understood in the governing documents relating to Norwegian asylum centres. Primarily, the reception centres are described as normal places of residence, in addition to being places for individual growth and development. Excluded from the texts is the asylum seeker and her extraordinary situation. The asylum seeker is understood as a resident, whilst the employees are seen as guides. The governing documents emphasise technical procedures and professional responsibility is linked to ‘accountability’, that is, responsibility in the sense of technical accounting obligations. This leads to a restricted understanding of professional responsibility where human relations are reduced to customer relations. Thus, responsibility is transferred from the employees to the asylum seeker. The employees become responsible for the procedures, and the residents for their own safety. As a result, liability for preventing a breach of human rights is excluded from professional responsibility.

Keywords: Professional responsibility, Human Rights, Reception Centres, Discourse Analysis