by Pınar Aksu | Glasgow Caledonian University
Recently, I have carried out interviews for the RESPOND research in Glasgow, Scotland. It was an emotional, frustrating and hopeful process, with many of the participants openly talking about their experiences. Many people leave their country for different reasons; protection, new life, hope and better future. Sadly, some are forced to leave their country, so sudden there is no time to gather memories and say final goodbyes.
Read Moreby Andrea Terlizzi & Mattia Collini | University of Florence
The second RESPOND roundtable of the Italian Migration Governance Network was held on the 2nd of July at the University of Florence, eight months after the first one. On that occasion, the purpose was to discuss some key issues relating to the governance of the migration phenomenon in Italy. In particular, the discussion revolved around three main migration policy areas: border management, reception, and integration policies. Participants were encouraged to share different points of view and approaches and were free to raise new reflections.
Read MoreTRAFIG (Transnational Figurations of Displacement) is an EU-funded Horizon 2020 research and innovation project. From 2019 to 2021, 12 partner organisations are investigating long-lasting displacement situations at multiple sites in Asia, Africa and Europe and options to improve displaced people’s lives. The project aims to generate new knowledge to help develop solutions for protracted displacement that are tailored to the needs and capacities of persons affected by displacement.
Read Moreby Prof. Ayhan Kaya | Bilgi University
Turkey first introduced a Temporary Protection Directive for the refugees in 2014, based on Articles 61 to 95 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection, which came into force in April 2014. The directive grants almost the entire social and civil rights that refugees enjoy in western societies. Accordingly, Turkey has provided Syrians with temporary protection, which consists of three elements: an open-door policy for all Syrians; no forced returns to Syria (non-refoulement); and unlimited duration of stay in Turkey.
Read Moreby Anita Brzozowska & Karolina Sobczak-Szelc | University of Warsaw
If you have ever experienced quantitative research among migrants, then you are already aware of challenges that it is linked to, and that good methodological concept, preparation and launch of the survey is a key to have high-quality data for further analysis.
Read Moreby Renato Ibrido | University of Florence
Contemporary societies are unavoidably “multicultural societies”, which means that a number of diverse social groups – characterized by different values, traditions, language, legal norms, religions – coexist in the same national territory. Governing such a social, political and economic diversity is one of the most compelling challenges of our time. Contemporary migration flows contribute making this challenge even engaging because on the one hand they increase critical diversity, and on the other they feed political discourses exasperating xenophobia and the “Europe first” narrative.
Read Moreby Ivan Josipovic & Ursula Reeger | Austrian Academy of Sciences
As we discussed in our first blog entry, the summer of migration in 2015 left a considerable mark on Austrian politics and led to multiple policy reforms. Political debates on refugees’ rights and duties continue to this day, while the number of new arrivals has steeply declined and the situation of reception has largely normalized. Under the framework of RESPOND, we spent the last months conducting interviews with eleven practitioners, who are active in the fields of asylum and integration.
Read Moreby Andrea Terlizzi | University of Florence
The Italian approach to border management and migration control in the last few years can be defined as ‘schizophrenic’. There have been times of restriction in access to the territory and times of opening, above all for what search and sea rescue operations are concerned. The same definition might apply to the narratives and discourses developed in the public debate. Indeed, between 2011 and 2017 there has been an alternation of narratives over humanitarianism and securitization, with a constant emphasis on the need of solidarity among EU Member States and externalization.
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