Author: ammodi
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Africa at the gates: Europe’s lose-lose migration management plan
Since the summer of 2015, the question of how to stem the flows from Africa and the Middle East is at the centre of increasingly existential debates about the very future of Europe. Loren B Landau and Iriann Freemantle contemplate the underlying logics and effects of EU migration management.
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Wayside promise: Ghanaian roads as routes to brighter futures
Ethnographic fieldwork requires not only long-term immersion, but also perceptiveness to the minutiae of the mundane. Walking, running, and driving along the roads of a Ghanaian city inspired me to rethink the meaning of migration. Jørgen Carling reflects on his recent fieldwork in Ghana.
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African migration: Who’s thinking of going where?
It is well established that young people constitute the majority of those who risk their lives on migratory routes from Sub-Saharan Africa towards Europe. But there are important differences by country that may inform more targeted policy responses. Afrobarometer’s Josephine Appiah-Nyamekye and Edem Selormey present the preliminary findings of the current round of nationality representative…
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Between Dejection and Awe: Reflections on Research with African Refugees
Conducting research with informants who have experienced the trials of forced displacement may leave the researcher crippled by the apparent hopelessness of her interlocutors, combined with the sense of helplessness in not being able to contribute to their plight in a meaningful and ethical way. Rose Jaji looks back on her experiences, conducting research with…
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The Trial of Dopé: The Modernity of Witchcraft Asylum Claims
As a professor of African History, and expert witness in US federal immigration court, Benjamin Lawrance reflects upon witchcraft accusations in asylum claims; how they are adjudicated; and why they tend to be rejected in court.
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The camp beyond the city: Kakuma and the development of a camp ecology
Kakuma refugee camp in Northern Kenya is emblematic for the debate about the ambiguous phenomenon of the protracted refugee camp. The camp has taken on an urban-like form; a dense, non-agricultural, informal settlement, that is characterized by the meeting of both curtailing and enabling forces, and human agency – by Bram J. Jansen
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Researching (with) refugees? Ethical considerations on participatory approaches
In lieu of perceiving refugees as ‘data sources’, research with refugees and thus participatory approaches not only transform refugees’ positions to active participants, but can also further the scope of findings – by Ulrike Krause
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Can international frameworks or compacts reduce onward migration?
If the aim of policy-makers is to reduce migration flows to Europe, the logical solution is to provide those services in the region where most migrants come from. This is where Partnership Frameworks and Job Compacts come in, but do they work? – by Jessica Hagen-Zanker
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Researching migrant arrivals, births and burials across the Mediterranean
In times of important life changes, such as the birth of a child or the loss of a loved one, the need for the support and companionship of others is essential. For migrants, this is rarely possible – by Sine Plambech