Assessing Austrian Policy Reforms: Practitioners’ Points of View

by 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.

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The Italian Border Management And Control Regime Between 2011 And 2017

by 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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Theorizing Hospitality and Integration: Preliminary Insights from Research with Syrian Women in Istanbul

by Dr. Susan Rottman | Özyeğin University

“Eat more.  I know you can eat more,” Dana urges with a smile as she serves me a second helping of sautéed green, mint-shaped leaves, soaked in lemon juice and accompanied by tiny pieces of chicken.  The leaves are imported dried from Syria and taste like chewy Swiss chard seasoned with lemon-y black tea.  It is completely delicious, and I certainly do not mind a second helping.  Dana wants me to feel welcome and therefore does not believe my polite protestations of being full. Throughout my research for RESPOND in Istanbul, I was often treated to this exceptional hospitality in Syrian homes.

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Refugee Housing Policy and its Effects on the Lives of Asylum Seekers in Germany

by Dr. J. Eduardo Chemin | Institut für Soziologie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Germany has been hailed for its “Refugee Welcome” culture and the efficient and organized manner in which it managed the 2015 migration crisis. One important aspect of reception policy in Germany has been undoubtedly the centralized refugee housing system and the way asylum seekers are systematically “distributed” around the German territory. But although the system is undoubtedly efficient from an institutional perspective, does it offer “adequate living conditions” for the person who is seeking asylum?

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An Intern’s Perspective

by Rebecca Emrick  | UPPSALA University

Upon starting the Euroculture program in the Fall 2017, I was always certain that I wanted to complete an internship for my third semester of studies. It wasn’t until I started to explore different research projects, particularly at Uppsala University, that I realized how relevant the RESPOND project was not only to my studies, but also my interests.

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Migration Diplomacy: Readmission Agreement and Turkey-EU Refugee Statement

by Prof. Ayhan Kaya | Bilgi University

The Readmission Agreement (16 December 2013) and the Turkey-EU Refugee Statement (18 March 2016) were signed in a period in which many public discussions were taking place in the background ranging from the issues of Islamophobia, populism, ISIS recruits, radicalisation of Islam, or Islamization of radicalism in Europe to the process of Islamization and the ISIS and PKK threats becoming more visible in Turkey.

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