Over the past year I have led a study with colleagues from Maastricht, Koc University, and Rotterdam on the influences of the EU Turkey Statement on refugees and other migrants decision making in Turkey and along the Balkans Route to Europe. This project was commissioned by the Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek- en Documentatiecentrum (Research and Documentation Centre) of the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security. I am please that the report is now available. Summary In 2015, there were higher … [Read more...]
Is this the end of Asylum in Europe?
In early September 2015, the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade & Development Cooperation together with the State Secretary for Security & Justice sent a letter to their House of Representatives about the European asylum system. The letter proposes a new policy based around three central points: 1) That asylum seekers should be processed by UNHCR within their region; 2) That asylum seekers who reach the Netherlands can be sent back to a ‘region of safety’; 3) That some refugees … [Read more...]
Understanding the current refugee/migrant crisis in Europe UNU-Merit Panel Discussion
At UNU-Merit/ MGSoG the PhD-Committee organized and hosted a panel discussion on the current refugee crises. The panel was moderated by Zina Nimeh, Assistant Professor and included myself and three other panelists: Melissa Siegel, Associate Professor; Maurice Boon, Dutch Refugee Council; and Mohamed Nour Khatib, Not Just a Number. Mohamed is a Syrian refugee in the Netherlands who started the organization Not Just a Number to bring a human face to Syrian refugees and remind us all that each … [Read more...]
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs Migration Presentation
On 1 October I was invited to give a talk to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs on migration by the Africa Group. The talk was a high level overview of migration myths, trends, and current developments in Africa. It was great discussion and I am grateful for the opportunity to present and share my take on migration issues. The presentation concluded with my four recommendations for the ministry to consider: 1) Migration should not be viewed as problem- This statement has been clearly made … [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...]