The overcrowded Moria camp has become an image of a failed collective effort to create cross-European solidarity for refugees and asylum seekers. On 23 September 2020 the European Commission launched their New Pact on Migration and Asylum aimed at replacing the heavily criticized Dublin Regulation. But what exactly is the ‘Dublin problem’ – and which solutions do the new pact hold? Four migration researchers offer their views below.
News & blogs
Reigniting the migration and asylum debate: Comments on the Commission’s proposal
It is precisely by aiming at the center of a very polarized political spectrum, and by presenting itself as a compromise, that the proposal can hope to spark a fruitful debate. Any expansive or restrictive suggestion from the angle of Northern, Eastern, or Southern states would be immediately dismissed by the opposing fringe.
Understanding the inferno on Lesbos: – We need new perspectives on migration to solve this situation
– We need new perspectives on migration to solve this situation.
Anthropologist and Associate Professor at the University of Bergen, Synnøve Kristine Nepstad Bendixsen, shares her reflections on the EU’s hot spot policy, the refugee camp as political and repressive space, the problematic distinction between ‘refugee’ and ‘migrant’, and the dire need for a new turn in Europe’s asylum policy.
A Greek Tragedy in Moria: Asylum Seekers without Durable Solutions
Since the terrible fire at the Moria asylum unit on the Greek island of Lesvos on 8 September the world has been horrified not only by the scale of the disaster but the inadequacy of the response at the local, national, European, and international level. While asylum seekers, with no-where to go, sleep on the […]
Scrutinizing discourses of international protection with Professor Philippe-Joseph Salazar
What follows is a reiteration of the remarks made by Professor Salazar after observing talks and presentations given during PROTECT’s Kick-off Conference and first General Assembly in Brussels on 9 – 10 March 2020. Professor Salazar starts by addressing PROTECT’s involvement in mapping and analyzing discourses of international protection in order to assist the European Commission, […]
The (lack of) EU Migration Policy on fire: What can be learned from the Moria disaster?
The striking images of the fires which devastated the largest migrant camp in Greece last week have circulated across media all over the world and astonished the public. About 13,000 people have lost their shelters, which have allowed them, although in a very uncomfortable way, to survive, far from war and violence. On 10 September, the day after the […]
Disaster Foretold: Refugees in Moria at risk after fires. What now, EU?
As much as the Greek state tries to present the fire and misery that unfolded as an unpredictable event and a state of emergency, this disaster was preventable, foreseeable and, therefore, foretold and avoidable. It is the outcome of a series of inadequate and patchy political decisions as well as the largely exclusionary, discriminatory and deterrent policies that have been implemented within and beyond the EU’s borders.
Eight months in: What have we been up to?
Eight months have passed since PROTECT’s official project launching. Since then, the PROTECT researchers have been working and researching remotely during the Corona-induced lockdowns. In this article you can explore the status of PROTECT’s individual Work Packages and what is next on the agenda for our researchers.
The Global Compacts and the Long Journey of the Refugee Regime
From the definition of refugees to the practical implementation of the right to asylum, refugee regimes are an issue leading to sharp political divisions or outright stand-off in a number of countries. Is this no-exit-road impression the truth of the matter, and what are the prospects of the Global Compact in this not-so-rosy scenario?
Who is (un)protected by the law?
– Migration is an important field of law because legal status makes an enormous difference. If you have status as ‘citizen’ you are protected by the law in a completely different way than refugees and migrants.