Today’s forced migration flows arriving to Europe are utterly nonlinear, multi-directional and unsteady. Forced migrants do not move through a one-directional path from a sending country to a receiving country. Rather, they move across several international borders and are forced to stop in different geographic areas before reaching their final destination. Even once people arrive to Europe, their journey is not completed. The EU immigration laws, reception policies and system of distribution of asylum seekers among member States, force people to redesign their migration path along the way and to experience a multiple displacement. Within this context, this study examines two inter-related aspects of today’s forced migration, which are worth to be studied in correlation – cross-national (im)mobility of refugees and transnational mechanisms arising among forcibly displaced people. The literature on transnationalism has largely neglected and understudied refugees, or it has only focused on their political activities (Al-Ali et al., 2001) as a diaspora. Starting from the assumption that migrants approaching Europe today are involved in what we call mixed flows, I assume that forcibly displaced people, just as economic migrants, undertake transnational activities which are able to affect those left behind. Mobilisation of transnational information and social remittances, such as transmission of knowledge, skills and values can also contribute to later reconstruction (Ragab et al., 2017) and reconciliation. Cross-national displacement and “bounded mobilities” (Gutekunst et al., 2016) of refugees are contrived by EU hospitality, protection and border control policies. In this sense, the article gives an interpretation of means of allocation provided by Europe for forced migrants. In particular, it focuses on the schemes of resettlement (the transfer of displaced persons in need of international protection from a third country to a member State), relocation (the transfer of persons in need of international protection among member States), and humanitarian corridors (promoted by private and public institutions as an alternative measure of allowing safe transit of persons in need of protection). Tracing the experience and migration path of two of the largest refugee groups forcibly approaching Europe today – Eritreans and Syrians, I will develop my analysis by exploring how cross-border (im)mobility entails transnational mechanisms. Eritreans and Syrians are two very different communities, as for migration path, type and causes of migration. Yet, they have something in common – a nationality with a EU-wide average asylum recognition rate of 75% or higher and a bounded mobility in which they exist. These two communities move across several international borders and experience an intra-regional migration before undertaking an extremely risky international journey to Europe. The high rate of recognition gives them favoured access to asylum in many European countries. Though, the “regime of mobility” (Glick-Schiller et al. 2012) in which they live, limit their possibilities to cross borders and entails further challenges and displacements. This paper is the result of an analysis of literature on mobility and transnationalism as well as a qualitative study conducted in 2017 through semi-structured interviews with migrants, social workers and experts, in Italy, France and Germany. It lies on the idea that when people’s mobility is bounded, they move their ideas, values and cultural heritage instead.
The Migration Conference 2017 hosted by Harokopio University, Athens from 23 to 26 August. The 5th conference in our series, the 2017 Conference was probably the largest scholarly gathering on migration with a global scope. Human mobility, border management, integration and security, diversity and minorities as well as spatial patterns, identity and economic implications have dominated the public agenda and gave an extra impetus for the study of movers and non-movers over the last decade or so. Throughout the program of the Migration Conference you will find various key thematic areas are covered in about 400 presentations by about 400 colleagues coming from all around the world from Australia to Canada, China to Mexico, South Africa to Finland.
Cross-national and Transnational Lives of Refugees: "Bounded Mobilities" of Syrians and Eritreans in Europe / Tuzi, Irene. - ELETTRONICO. - (2017), pp. 2-3. (Intervento presentato al convegno The Migration Conference 2017 tenutosi a Harokopio University, Athens nel 23/08/2017 - 26/08/2017).
Cross-national and Transnational Lives of Refugees: "Bounded Mobilities" of Syrians and Eritreans in Europe
TUZI, IRENE
2017
Abstract
Today’s forced migration flows arriving to Europe are utterly nonlinear, multi-directional and unsteady. Forced migrants do not move through a one-directional path from a sending country to a receiving country. Rather, they move across several international borders and are forced to stop in different geographic areas before reaching their final destination. Even once people arrive to Europe, their journey is not completed. The EU immigration laws, reception policies and system of distribution of asylum seekers among member States, force people to redesign their migration path along the way and to experience a multiple displacement. Within this context, this study examines two inter-related aspects of today’s forced migration, which are worth to be studied in correlation – cross-national (im)mobility of refugees and transnational mechanisms arising among forcibly displaced people. The literature on transnationalism has largely neglected and understudied refugees, or it has only focused on their political activities (Al-Ali et al., 2001) as a diaspora. Starting from the assumption that migrants approaching Europe today are involved in what we call mixed flows, I assume that forcibly displaced people, just as economic migrants, undertake transnational activities which are able to affect those left behind. Mobilisation of transnational information and social remittances, such as transmission of knowledge, skills and values can also contribute to later reconstruction (Ragab et al., 2017) and reconciliation. Cross-national displacement and “bounded mobilities” (Gutekunst et al., 2016) of refugees are contrived by EU hospitality, protection and border control policies. In this sense, the article gives an interpretation of means of allocation provided by Europe for forced migrants. In particular, it focuses on the schemes of resettlement (the transfer of displaced persons in need of international protection from a third country to a member State), relocation (the transfer of persons in need of international protection among member States), and humanitarian corridors (promoted by private and public institutions as an alternative measure of allowing safe transit of persons in need of protection). Tracing the experience and migration path of two of the largest refugee groups forcibly approaching Europe today – Eritreans and Syrians, I will develop my analysis by exploring how cross-border (im)mobility entails transnational mechanisms. Eritreans and Syrians are two very different communities, as for migration path, type and causes of migration. Yet, they have something in common – a nationality with a EU-wide average asylum recognition rate of 75% or higher and a bounded mobility in which they exist. These two communities move across several international borders and experience an intra-regional migration before undertaking an extremely risky international journey to Europe. The high rate of recognition gives them favoured access to asylum in many European countries. Though, the “regime of mobility” (Glick-Schiller et al. 2012) in which they live, limit their possibilities to cross borders and entails further challenges and displacements. This paper is the result of an analysis of literature on mobility and transnationalism as well as a qualitative study conducted in 2017 through semi-structured interviews with migrants, social workers and experts, in Italy, France and Germany. It lies on the idea that when people’s mobility is bounded, they move their ideas, values and cultural heritage instead.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
