EU leaders have agreed to a plan that will provide Libya’s UN-backed government €200 million for dealing with migration. This includes an increase in funding for the Libyan coastguard, with an overall aim to stop migrant boats crossing the Mediterranean to Italy. Based on the perceived policy success of the 2016 EU-Turkey deal on stopping migrant boats reaching Greece from the west coast of Turkey, known as the eastern Mediterranean route, this deal is intended to have a similar effect on the … [Read more...]
EuroNews Opinions Piece on Migrants in Greece and Turkey
In order to stem the flow of migrants crossing into Europe, the EU signed a deal with Turkey that aims to return migrants without an asylum claim to Turkey. Recently, EU leaders met in Malta and agreed to a new deal with Libya aimed at curtailing the flow of migrants from Libya to Italy. The EU-Turkey deal has been viewed as successful from a policy standpoint in that it has effectively reduced the number of boats crossing from Turkey to Greece. Yet, it is important for us to reflect on why … [Read more...]
Why Don’t Refugees Just Stay in Turkey or Greece? We asked them
Here is a post co-authored with Khalid Koser for the Conversation (re-posted here). It has also been reposted to Time, World Economic Forum, and the Huffington Post. Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters The European Commission has decided to start returning migrants from other European countries back to Greece, lifting a ban on the practice that was put in place in 2011. The decision is influenced by concerns that 13,000 migrants recently disappeared from camps in Northern … [Read more...]
Rubicon Grant and Thank-you NWO
I am very honoured and excited that I have recently been awarded the NWO (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research) Rubicon Grant. With a Rubicon grant, researchers are expected to conduct research for a period up to 24 months at a foreign institute. My project will be focused on Syrian and Nigerian migrants in Italy: When irregular migration and asylum converge Dr. K.A. (Katie) Kuschminder, from Maastricht University will be going to Italy, European University Institute, Robert … [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...]