KUNO publications

Security and Conflict Mitigation in EU Migration ‘Hotspots’ in Greece

This study by KUNO and Wageningen University looks into what conflict mitigation measures are included in the practices of aid groups, particularly in migration hotspots on Lesvos, Chios, and Samos, and whether these measures were successful. Some conclusions that followed from this study are that security concerns were often not on the agenda of aid groups. Also, while security protocols varied widely between aid organizations, they mostly focussed on in-camp events, and were mostly short-term in nature. 

The publication

Read the full publication here.

About the publication

In 2015, as an answer to the refugee crisis, the EU developed a ‘hotspot approach.’ This approach meant that asylum seekers would be held in sites in Greece and Italy, from where they would be relocated to other EU member states if they were eligible for refugee status. However, in reality, this process stalled, which resulted in the camps becoming highly overpopulated and conditions on the islands deteriorated. The overpopulation and inadequate conditions resulted in fear, anger and frustration among local communities and island dynamics suffered. This resulted in (violent) clashes between asylum seekers and the host communities. Aid workers and volunteers were viewed as implicit in the containment strategy, and thus as part of the problem. Different security concerns play a role in this context, including threats from and against the asylum seeker communities, but also out of camp risks stemming from fear, anger, and frustration from the host communities. 

Authors

  • B. Jansen, anthropologist with the Sociology of Development and Change group (SDC) at Wageningen University.
  • M. Weishaupt, Wageningen University.
  • M. Lubberdink, Wageningen University.