On 21 September, I gave an introductory presentation at the EMN Austria National Conference on Irregular Migration and Return in the EU and Austria. The conference occurred amidst further flows of migrants and refugees entering Austria’s southern borders. As a country of only eight million, the country is now anticipating flows of up to 90,000 asylum seekers this year. The conference provided a great venue for debate and discussion on current irregular migration and return policies in … [Read more...]
DocFest Public Lecture
On 18-20 September, the first tri-border Documentary Film Festival - DocFest- occurred in Maastricht. The event was a great success! Thank you to the organizers for inviting me to take part in this event. On 19th September, I gave a public lecture at DocFest on migration. Who is a migrant? What is the difference between a migrant, irregular migrant, asylum seeker and a refugee? Why are so many people trying to enter Europe and what conditions do they face on this journey? What happens when … [Read more...]
Quoted on the front page of Kristeligt Dagblad
I spoke with journalist Ulla Poulsen from Kristeligt Dagblad in Denmark this week regarding the current refugee crisis. Here is her published article in Danish (see English translation below). The article addresses concerns regarding the fence between Hungary and Serbia. I argue that the fence will not stop people from migrating to Europe. Even if further fences are put into place the concern is that increased border controls will lead to people taking more dangerous routes to access … [Read more...]
Migrants Arriving in Athens: No Reception and No Place to Go
Greece has received unprecedented migrant arrivals over the past few years, being at the frontline of entry into the European Union. The EU’s Frontex agency has just released new figures showing that the Turkey-Greece border has again become the primary mode of entry into the EU, writes Dr. Katie Kuschminder. … [Read more...]
Governing Irregular Migration: States, Actors and Intermediaries (IRMA) Final Conference
On 8-9th July, ELIAMEP and EUI co-hosted the final conference of the Governing Irregular Migration: States, Actors and Intermediaries project in Athens. This project examined the experiences of migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Albania, Georgia and the Ukraine to Greece. It was a great conference and I really enjoyed learning more about these diverse migration routes to Greece. I presented on irregular Afghans in the Netherlands modes of survival and future plans. It was a great session with … [Read more...]