scholarly journals The Impact of Refugee Camps on the Process of Migration Towards Europe: An Assessment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sebastian Paul
Keyword(s):  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Refugee Camps ◽  
Migration Studies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mass Migration ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Asylum Seekers And Refugees ◽  
The Eu

In recent years, migration studies focused very much on forced displacement, especially after the influx of migrants to Europe in 2015. Some European countries accept immigrants from non-EU regions. Others blame migrants for taking advantage of Europe’s social systems and follow restrictive policy measures. The EU is as divided as never before in its history, and the process of migration to Europe has become more critical. In this context, the characteristics, fleeing reasons, and refugees’ and asylum seekers’ journeys are relevant. This dissertation looks at these factors in the framework of refugee camps. Even though refugee camps are frequently an essential part of the journey of asylum seekers and refugees on their way to Europe, there is only limited literature in this field. Thus, the research aims to analyze migration and refugee movements as a consequence of the miserable and inhumane conditions in refugee camps and identifies indicators for (mass) migration to Europe. For this purpose, and since everyone speaks about migrants, but not with migrants, I conducted quantitative and qualitative research in 192 fully-structured and 17 semi-structured interviews. The research provides a comprehensive comparison of the living conditions in non-EU and EU refugee camps, analyses their role in the process of migration to Europe, and emphasizes the differences between different camps. Furthermore, the characteristics of asylum seekers and refugees and their motives for coming to Europe were examined. The findings of the study show who these people are and from where they originate. There is evidence for the hypothesis that the majority of people flee because of severe danger (e.g., armed conflicts) and are not ‘economic migrants’ despite the claims of nationalistic governments in the EU. However, there is evidence for the hypothesis that improved living conditions in camps could reduce mass migration movements to Europe. The dissertation enhances the discussion of refugee camps in migration studies, provides new perspectives and insights about the journey of asylum seekers and refugees to Europe, and people’s characteristics leaving their country of origin.

scholarly journals The European Union Obligation: Member States must not Neglect the Consequences of Covid 19 to the Disadvantaged Asylum Seekers and Refugees

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 209
Author(s):  
Sibusisiwe Bulala Kelly
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Refugee Camps ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Corona Virus ◽  
Asylum Seekers And Refugees ◽  
The Eu

In early March 2020 the health crisis warnings of corona virus also known as Covid 19 emerged in the European Union (EU). It dominated political dialogues prompting a sense of urgency, fear, and disruption among people. Suddenly there was a halt to the continuous controversial discussions on migration, asylum seekers and refugee challenges across the EU Member States and beyond. The message from the health experts and governments among the EU Member States was clear. Stay home, wash your hands constantly, maintain physical distance, and keep the children away from vulnerable grandparents. However, these seemingly extreme health guidelines engendered great anxiety for the disadvantaged people living in crowded refugee camps across the EU and beyond. It became very clear that the requirement of physical distancing has become a privilege only available for the populations that have the capacity.Research shows that overcrowding and lack of sanitation in refugee camps continue to be problematic across the EU Member States. Somehow, it seemed unfair for the Member States governments to emphasise on the importance of constant wash of hands and social distance among its citizens, whilst ignoring the horrific living conditions of those displaced and stranded in the internal and external borders of the EU. Additionally, there are claims that Covid 19 has not fully manifested in the EU refugee camps, however with lack of information on corona virus testing in the camps it is difficult to legitimately evaluate the situation. This brief assesses the EU Covid 19 response in relation to the area of Asylum. Also serves as a reminder for the EU policy makers not to forget the migration discourse during coronavirus crisis. Particularly, for the asylum seekers and refugees as their presence will continue to impact major dimensions of the EU communities such as political, economy, and social, well beyond Covid 19.

A Lack of Legal Protection and Limited Ways Out: How Asylum Seekers Cope with Liminality on Greek Islands: Lesbos and Chios

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muzaffer Sevda Tunaboylu ◽  
Ilse van Liempt
Keyword(s):  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
Structural Constraints ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The Impact ◽  
European Migration ◽  
The Eu

Abstract This article focuses on the experiences and coping strategies of those who have sought asylum on the Greek islands of Lesbos and Chios after the EU–Turkey deal of March 2016. Based on semi-structured interviews with asylum seekers and participatory observations on the two islands between July and August 2017, we explore the impact of the EU–Turkey deal on asylum seekers and how they cope with it. Although the implementation of the deal has an effect on their ability to cross irregularly to Europe, our findings show that many asylum seekers still come to the islands, aspiring to move on and, in some cases, succeeding. A combination of factors facilitates or hinders a secondary movement from the islands despite the structural constraints. We saw that, often, those with a genuine asylum claim choose to move on despite the risk of losing their legal status. In this way, our research challenges the discursive categorization of those who wait through containment as ‘deserving refugees’ and those who move on as ‘undeserving migrants’ and provides a critical analysis of current European migration policies.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Mediterranean Refugee Camps: The Situation of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Greece and Italy

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 220-235
Author(s):  
Sebastian Paul
Keyword(s):  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Refugee Camps ◽  
Mediterranean Countries ◽  
Structural Differences ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Location Policy ◽  
Asylum Seekers And Refugees

The article examines the situation of asylum seekers and refugees in Italy and Greece with a particular focus on conditions in refugee camps. Whereas Italy can provide relatively acceptable living conditions in camps but fails to address the issue of homeless migrants in provisional camps, the situation in Greece is devastating. The Mediterranean countries are incapable of improving living conditions for migrants, and reasons for fleeing remain high. This paper compares the situation in both countries, and the findings emphasize the structural differences between Greece and Italy in terms of economy, location, policy imp-lications, and the origin of asylum seekers and refugees.

Characteristics of migrants coming to Europe: A survey among asylum seekers and refugees in Germany about their journey

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 825-835
Author(s):  
Sebastian Paul
Keyword(s):  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Armed Conflicts ◽  
The Social ◽  
Eu Regions ◽  
History Of ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Asylum Seekers And Refugees ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Restrictive Policy

The year 2015 was significant in the history of the EU when millions of asylum seekers and refugees from the Middle East and Africa fled to Europe. Where some European countries accept immigrants from non-EU regions, others blame migrants for taking advantage of the social systems in Europe and followed restrictive policy measures. Thus, everyone speaks about migrants, but not with migrants. The article examines the characteristics of asylum seekers and refugees and their motives for coming to Europe. Over 100 interview-based surveys were conducted in this study. The findings of the paper show who these people are and from where they originated. Furthermore, there is evidence supporting the hypothesis that the majority of people flee because of severe danger (e.g., armed conflicts) and are not ‘economic migrants’ despite the claims of nationalistic governments in the EU.

Politics of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Turkey: Limits and Prospects of Populism

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatih Resul Kılınç ◽  
Şule Toktaş
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Syrian Civil War ◽  
Turkish Politics ◽  
Right Wing Populism ◽  
Mass Influx ◽  
Asylum Seekers And Refugees ◽  
The Eu

This article addresses the international movement of asylum seekers and refugees, particularly Syrian immigrants, and their impact on populism in Turkish politics between 2011 and 2018. The article argues that populist politics/rhetoric directed against Syrians in Turkey remained limited during this period, especially from a comparative perspective. At a time when rising Islamophobia, extreme nationalism, and anti-immigrant sentiments led to rise of right-wing populism in Europe, populist platforms exploiting specifically migrants, asylum seekers, and the Syrians in Turkey failed to achieve a similar effect. The chapter identifies two reasons for this puzzling development even as the outbreak of the Syrian civil war triggered a mass influx of asylum seekers and irregular immigrants into Turkey. First, the article focuses on Turkey’s refugee deal with the EU in response to “Europe’s refugee crisis,” through which Turkey has extracted political and economic leverage. Next, the article sheds light on Turkey’s foreign policy making instruments that evolved around using the refugee situation as an instrument of soft power pursuant to its foreign policy identity. The article concludes with a discussion of the rise of anti-Syrian sentiments by 2019.

scholarly journals Sars-CoV-2 attack rate in reception and accommodation centres for asylum seekers: systematic review of outbreak media reports in Germany

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Jahn ◽  
Maren Hintermeier ◽  
Kayvan Bozorgmehr
Keyword(s):  
Special Needs ◽  
Attack Rate ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Refugee Camps ◽  
Testing Strategies ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
Media Reports ◽  
Google Search ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTObjectivesDespite concerns about the impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus (Sars-CoV-2) in refugee camps, data on attack rates and effectiveness of containment measures are lacking. We aimed to (1) quantify the attack rate of Sars-CoV-2 during outbreaks in reception and accommodation centres in Germany, (2) assess differences in the attack rate based on containment measures, and (3) provide an overview of testing strategies, communication, conflicts, and protection measures for refugees with special needs.MethodsSystematic web-based review of outbreak media reports (until June 2020) on confirmed Sars-CoV-2 cases in reception centers for asylum seekers in Germany using the google search engine. Reports were screened for pre-defined inclusion criteria and complemented by snowball searches. Data on facility name, location, confirmed cases, containment measures, communication, protection strategies, and conflicts was extracted for each outbreak and reporting date. Evidence synthesis: meta-analysis and negative binomial regression.FindingsWe identified 337 media reports on 101 Sars-CoV-2 outbreaks in 99 reception and accommodation centers in Germany. The pooled Sars-CoV-2 attack rate was 13.1% (95% confidence interval, CI: 9.8-16.7). Outbreak sites implementing mass quarantine (n=76) showed higher rates (15.7; 95% CI: 11.6 - 20.2) compared to sites using conventional strategies (6.6; 95%CI: 3.1 - 11.2), yielding a rate ratio of 0.44 (95%CI: 0.27-0.72) adjusted for testing strategies, type and size of accommodation. Conflicts occurred in at least 11.8% of all outbreaks. Few sites reported specific measures to protect refugees with special needs.ConclusionMass quarantine is associated with higher attack rates, and appears to be a counter-productive containment measure in overcrowded camps. Although further research with individual-level data is required to rule out residual confounding, reception centers and refugee camps should follow the available guidelines on Covid-19 response and refrain from mass quarantine if physical distancing cannot be guaranteed.

Surveying the Hard-to-Survey

2018 ◽  
pp. 165-185
Author(s):  
Theoni Stathopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Living Conditions ◽  
Refugee Camps ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Unaccompanied Minors ◽  
Refugee Population ◽  
Vulnerable People ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Culture And Language

This chapter presents an overview of the refugee situation in Greece after the EU-Turkey agreement in March 2016 that has led to the entrapment of more than 60.000 of refugees in the country. Drawing on the empirical findings of research conducted in six refugee camps across Greece and five shelters for unaccompanied minors in Athens greater area, the chapter examines the reception and living conditions, the feelings of insecurity and loss as well as the traumatic and discriminative experiences of the refugee population. The chapter also discusses the major methodological and ethical challenges that arise from surveying highly diverse in terms of culture and language, traumatized and vulnerable people in unstable and emergency conditions.

No One Left Behind?

2021 ◽  
pp. 270-289
Author(s):  
Athanassios Vozikis ◽  
Theodoros Fouskas ◽  
Symeon Sidiropoulos
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Migration Policy ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Multiple Challenges ◽  
Epidemiological Profile ◽  
The Impact

Asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants, who are living in RICs, are faced with multiple challenges and vulnerabilities that must be taken into consideration when responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic concerns over increasing cases recorded in the RICs in Greece. The impact of migration on public health is of particular concern to Greek migration policy, as migrants in the country have a completely different epidemiological profile and higher risks to public health due to the poor living conditions in their countries of origin and during their stay. They live mostly in overcrowded reception and identification centers and accommodation centers under deplorable conditions, lack of proper shelter, extremely unhygienic living conditions. The urgent decongestion of the overcrowded RICs and accommodation centers is required to avoid the risk of rapid spread of the infection.

Foreign Terrorist Fighters as a Factor of Securitization of the EU Migration Policy

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (11) ◽  
pp. 106-114
Author(s):  
O. Potyomkina
Keyword(s):  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Security Policy ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Migration Policy ◽  
Difficult Problem ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Security Threat ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The article analyzes the impact of the Foreign Terrorist Fighters’ (FTF) phenomenon on the securitization of the European Union’s migration policy. The author follows the construction of the FTF as a serious security threat to the European Union’s strategies and action plans, and demonstrates the EU’s practical actions to respond the threat: criminalization of “suspicious travel”, strengthening border security, preliminary screening of asylum seekers at the border. The article pays special attention to the EU plans to achieve compatibility of the European Union information systems, while emphasizing new opportunities for the law enforcement bodies to access migration databases for combating terrorism. Exploring the new EU integration plan for migrants, the author notes that this is for the first time that the European Commission focuses its efforts not only on migrants, but also on the EU citizens with “migratory background”, which is undoubtedly dictated by a fear of the extremist ideology influence on young people. The article exposes certain similarities between the Commission’s methods to coordinate integration and inclusion of migrants, reintegration of the FTF and their families, which indicates that the migration policy is becoming a part of the EU security policy. That leads to a conclusion that securitization of migration policy aims not only and not so much at preventing the potential threat of the returnees’ terrorist activities, but at curbing migration flows as a whole and reducing the number of asylum seekers, in particular. Nevertheless, terrorism and migration seem to be closely linked in public discourse, despite the absence of an empirical basis to conclude that these factors directly influence each other. The author considers the most difficult problem of modern migration policy to be the definition of the red line beyond which its securitization can be justified.

scholarly journals Can Community-Based Social Protection Interventions Improve the Wellbeing of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in the United Kingdom? A Systematic Qualitative Meta-Aggregation Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 194
Author(s):  
Michelle L James
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Asylum Seekers And Refugees

The Sustainable Development Goals 2030 call for an end to poverty in all its forms everywhere through the adoption of integrated social protection policies. However, recent literature suggests an implicit and explicit discrimination towards asylum seekers and refugees (ASRs) in United Kingdom social policy, leading to high rates of destitution, poor health and isolation. Due to the limited nature of UK government support, many ASRs become involved with semi-formal and informal social protection. This systematic literature review synthesizes existing qualitative literature that documents the impact of these interventions on the wellbeing of adult ASRs in the United Kingdom. The literature offers useful insights into asylum seeker and refugee perceptions of wellbeing, agency, and support responsibility, and how their interaction with social protection providers constrains or enables the realization of their fundamental human needs. The findings demonstrate that government support is inadequate to meet the needs of many asylum seekers and refugees, leading to disempowerment, lack of agency and exploitation. Positive wellbeing outcomes are linked to semi-formal and informal interventions, summarized into six categories: the positive impact of volunteering; physical space and intentional gathering; practical and material support; training and skills development; solidarity, inclusion and understanding; and peer support and advice.

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