We kindly inform you that, as long as the subject affiliation of our 300.000+ articles is in progress, you might get unsufficient or no results on your third level or second level search. In this case, please broaden your search criteria.
The purpose of the paper is to analyse the European Agenda on Migration from the perspective of people who, for some reason, are susceptible to harm or have found themselves in a challenging situation (i.e. are “vulnerable”), and answer the question of whether the Agenda has taken notice of this issue in any way.The analysis proceeds in five parts. It begins by outlining the complexity of vulnerability with particular emphasis on the role of the adopted perspective and the situation of migrants. Next, it describes the EAM objectives in terms of vulnerable persons. On the basis of several communications, proposals, working documents and reports that the EU has formulated since May 2015, the Agenda’s theoretical assumptions have been compared with their implementation in practice. Part four attempts to answer whether the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the situation of vulnerable migrants has been reflected in EU operational documents. The final part presents the New Pact on Migration and Asylum (as the latest achievement in the discussed area) with particular attention paid to vulnerable persons.The research was based predominantly on official EU documents, binding and non-binding, and the latest literature on the subject.
More...
European Agenda on Migration presented by the Council of Europe in 2015 revealed a necessity for amendment of the Frontex Regulation, in order to enhance its role in supporting Member States with regards to forced-returns. As underlined, all operational activities of the Agency shall be applied in respect of fundamental rights. European Border and Coast Guard Regulation adopted in 2016 provided for an obligation for all of forced-return operations coordinated or organised by Frontex to be me monitored. At the same time Frontex pool of forced-return monitors was set up with this view to support national monitoring systems. Through in-depth legal analysis of binding EU laws on forced-returns the author elaborates on the genesis, legal and organisational framework as well as on the development of Frontex pool of monitors.
More...
The plans of the Turkish authorities to establish a security zone in northern Syria for Syrian refugees are the basis of the study on the European Union’s position towards the proposed political organism and the possibility of taking related actions. They are also a starting point for a broader analysis of EU-Turkish relations, especially concerning the issue of Middle East refugees. The paper is based on a political science analysis of the content (documents and media texts) and a review of the scientific literature on the externalization of migration management by the EU, security zones, EU-Turkey relations and the project to create a Syrian zone. These publications were created mainly between 2017 and 2020, in the period of increased interest in the issue. The conclusions from the analysis indicate the vital interest of both parties in maintaining cooperation in the field of migration. On the EU side, it results mainly from the need to achieve the goals of externalizing migration management, while for Turkey it remains an important element in the process of building a regional power position. However, despite the mutual dependence of partners in the implementation of their priority interests, the acceptance of the creation of a security zone in Syria by the EU – in the light of the current international and geopolitical legal conditions – is unlikely.
More...
The text presents the preliminary results of the ongoing research on the Polish American community in Seattle, Washington. So far overlooked by the historians of the Polish American experience, the local group differs significantly from other centers of the Polish diaspora in the US. Poles settled in the Pacific Northwest from the late nineteenth century onward, and they developed in the city and around it a strong community that is internally diversified. In Seattle they were confronted with German, Irish, and Jewish groups, as was the case in other American cities, but also with other immigrants, for example with numerous Asians, Nordic people, Croatians, and Bulgarians. Contrary to the patterns of the Polish American community building, there has never been a Polish neighborhood in the city, and the Polish Roman Catholic parish was founded in Seattle as late as 1989. In fact, the parish never gained a crucial importance in the local ethnic community, and presently, as it used to be in the past, the immigrant life is organized around the Polish Home that was launched by the pioneer immigrants in 1918/1920. Many descendants of the earlier immigrant generations participate in the events initiated in Seattle by Poles who arrived in the last decades, and several recent immigrants became involved in the Polish Home Association. Moreover, web platforms – new forms of ethnic connection that developed in the last decades, contribute to the increase of the bonding social capital within the Polish group.
More...
The presence of immigrants has the potential to produce significant changes in the social and cultural fabric of a city, although they may equally well remain essentially invisible. In the present article I discuss the presence of Polish immigrants in the urban space of Reykjavik. Since the first decade of the 21st century, Poles have been the largest non-native nationality in the island, this being the fourth such case in the world – aside from Norway, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The numerical dominance of Poles among immigrants to Iceland is such that immigrant, or foreigner, is frequently considered as synonymous to Pole. Does this predominance of Poles among immigrants translate to their visibility in the urban space? In what ways do they mark their presence? In the article I analyze the presence and activity of Poles in the spheres of culture, local politics, business and sports. I describe Polish organisations and associations, and events held by the Polish diaspora. Some of those are focused on cultivating the culture of the country of origin and on integration within the group, thus being typical Oddiseyan associations; the purpose of others is to facilitate the adaptation of Poles to the host society, and to promote Polish culture within the host society– thus they are reminiscent of Rubiconic associations, to refer to Daniel Joly’s wellknown classification. In the article I consider the question: which among the Polish initiatives have gained visibility among the hosts and have the potential to become relatively permanent fixtures of the cultural map of Reykjavik. Is the potential of the Polish diaspora in terms of organisation and culture sufficient to reach a wide audience of Icelanders and foreigners of other nationalities, and to gain their interest?
More...
London is home to the largest community of Polish migrants in Great Britain. The multicultural and superdiverse character of the city frequently – though not always – helps newly-arrived inhabitants to settle and decide to stay for longer or for ever. In 2016 there was a referendum on the United Kingdom’s membership in the European Union. It was a moment when many migrants (re)considered their presence and their position in the society of the United Kingdom. One of the largest affected groups of migrants were the Poles. The purpose of this article is to present the situation of Polish migrants on the eve of Brexit, from the perspective of life in a multicultural and superdiverse city – London. The spectre of Brexit has brought out social tensions, detectible to varying degrees depending on the social character of the place of residence in question. In this article I have tried to answer the question: To what extent have the social mood and the social status of migrants in their own perception changed due to Brexit in the context of London’s multiculturalism and superdiversity? The article was based on 25 in-depth interviews with Polish migrants living in London. The research was realised within the framework of the scientific program: “The process of the social (re)adaptation of Polish migrants in London when facing Brexit – change and redefinition of social status from an intragroup perspective” (Miniatura 2, NCN Register No.: 2018/02/X/HS6/02300). Interviews were carried out at the end of April and the beginning of May, and in October 2019.
More...
This article looks at the Brazilian migrant association founded in 1992, functioning in the capital of Portugal, Casa do Brasil de Lisboa. Its origin is connected to the period of the first numerous stream of Brazilians coming to Portugal, the colonizer of their homeland in former times. Knowing that migrant networks are of great value to the process of immigrants’ integration into a host society – and a local community as well – Casa do Brasil de Lisboa is very active in this field. For instance, in partnership with the Lisbon City Council, this association offers guidance on the legalization of stay, and access to public and private services in Portugal. However, a large number of tasks undertaken by Casa do Brasil de Lisboa go far beyond this kind of guidance. Two editions of the project Migrante Participa (Migrant Participates) are a clear illustration of it. Each edition created opportunities to meet, gain knowledge, and share opinions on migratory process issues in the context of Portugal and Lisbon as well, encouraging political participation at the local level, for example. Casa do Brasil de Lisboa is also active in the field of culture, promoting Brazilian artists. What is more, this association is not closed for other nationalities and collaborates with various entities. To be more specific, therefore, the focus of this text is on presenting Casa do Brasil de Lisboa as a dynamic immigrant association working on increasing the level of integration and reducing the phenomenon of individual marginalization within the Lisbon community. As a theoretical framework of this text serves the concept of immigrants’ integration of Rinus Penninx.
More...
The pandemic’s rupture in people’s lives was felt in a particular way among foreign-born middle-class women in Trondheim. In the situation of unexpected (im)mobility and anxieties related to the pandemic, the lack of close relationships in the local context, was significantly felt. Despite digital acceleration, that was witnessed with pandemic, it highlighted the centrality of local presence and physicality of relations. The pandemic created a situation in which women realised the importance of having friends in the local community to cope with the restrictions and triggered a necessity for the otherwise highly mobile individuals to establish new relationships and explore the local environment. In this article, I discuss the formation of such relationships and the role of social media platforms, more specifically the role of a local social media-based initiative for mobile women with diverse cultural backgrounds. I argue that ‘affective time’ of pandemic created temporalities for forming a community for sharing sufferings, security, and joyful distractions from the crisis. This article considers meaning and experiences of friendship under condition of uncertainty and how relationship-making shape migrant’s woman engagement with the present. I follow a methodology of friendship, developed by Tillmann-Healy (2003), as a useful tool to research friendship-making practices and specifically in times of crisis.
More...
The article presents the results of the research on preferences regarding the places of study among young Europeans, the changes of the preferences and the relationships between the preferences and the decisions. The research was carried out among secondary school students in seven European cities in 2005–2007 and again in 2015–2018 (n=1577). The research showed a strong positive correlation between the preferences of the places of residence and the places of studying (r = 0.85). At the same time, stronger declared mobility among young inhabitants of Western Europe and the impact of economic barriers on decisions concerning studying among the youth from less developed European countries were proven. Minor changes in the preferences of the places of study over the past decade have been shown, along with the Cold War division of Europe, constantly influencing the imaginations.
More...
The visible presence of migrant children (including unaccompanied minors) in current migratory flows manifestly requires some form of state attention in migrant destination states. In recent decades, the question of who is entitled to rights has become ever more discussed. At the same time, immigration regulations have tightened with increasing punitive measures taken against those labelled ‘undeserved and undocumented’. This paper seeks to connect a critical discussion of camp urbanization with the discourse on child rights within the context of the refugee camp space. Considering the urban not simply as a physical space, but also as a particular form of political community and the exercise of citizenship space, the paper explores the question: how does the reinvention of the camp as an urban space contribute to a new and better understanding of experiences and resources that unaccompanied minors arrive with? The article uses the analyses of the reference literature and provides an overview of some concepts to get a broader picture of spatial childhood within the camp. The conclusion is that children do not feature in the discussion of camp urbanization as individual subjects of concern. They are considered as possessions of adults. Moreover, they are trapped in a liminal situation of permanent temporariness. To spend one’s life in such a limbo of disenfranchised destitute has particularly devastating consequences for children.
More...
The article deals with the integration processes of Polish native inhabitants of Kraków and the newest (since 2014) migrants from Ukraine (70–100,000 in a city of about 800,000). One of the main actors in these processes are municipal public cultural institutions.Using a number of methods, the needs of the Ukrainian population in Kraków were assessed and the offer of the local public institutions was studied. A focus group, IDIs, analysis of websites, Facebook profiles, and participatory observation were used. A basic problem for migrants is finding information on the local cultural offer presented in Ukrainian or Russian. Kraków does much to include foreigners into its social life. However, still closer integration, taking advantage of the potential of migrants, would be instrumental to making their life better and to making the city even more attractive to its Polish and non-Polish inhabitants and tourists. Premises and other resources at the disposal of Ukrainian private institutions are too small for large-scale cultural activity. Kraków’s cafes and pubs help, organizing concerts and meet-the-author and meet-the-artist sessions, but these events could be better organized by public cultural institutions, inviting much larger audiences. Sometimes leading Ukrainian artists visit Kraków and turn to municipal institutions looking for support and employment, only to find neither. It would be very beneficial for the city to monitor these initiatives, via Kraków’s Ukrainian websites and Facebook profiles, and take advantage of them.
More...
The paper discusses the development and implementation of local policy measures towards stabilisation and facilitation of migrant settlement in Lodz at the time of a dynamic increase of immigration into Poland that has taken place in recent years. The narrative, institutional and practical dimensions of urban policy in this domain are under further analysis. The immigration, mainly from Ukraine, is presented by local authorities as a chance to mitigate the advanced depopulation processes affecting the city of Lodz, and they undertake various institutional initiatives to encourage Ukrainian immigrants to settle for good. However, in reality the inflow of immigrant is not considered to be a burning issue. It is seen as a one of many social challenges the city has to cope with and therefore no separate integration instruments have been offered to immigrants. Newcomers are seen as a (temporary) addition to labour force shortages rather than one of the pillars for longterm developments of the city of Lodz.
More...
There is a complex relationship between the essentialist and non-essentialist discourses that respectively fail to and succeed in recognising the potential for participation which the children of migrants bring with them into new cultural settings. These competing discourses curl around each other within the structures of educational settings and within all the people involved, including the children themselves. A yin-yang framework helps us to see the nature of this entwined relationship and the hybridity which is the key to untangling it. It helps researchers to understand that getting to the bottom of what is going on is not straightforward and requires that they reassess who they are and how they should proceed. Sometimes it takes unusual and unexpected circumstances, such as those brought about by the emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic to shake their thinking-as-usual and to see the unexpected.
More...
In this article we present quantitative data collected in Italy for the CHILD-UP project, funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme in the period 2019–2022. The aim of this work is to focus on a specific topic which emerged during the analysis of the questionnaires collected within schools. This topic is the perceptions of professionals and parents on the issues of integration, cultural differences and the intercultural. Starting from a theorization of these concepts, we focus on quantitative data collected in the first part of the project by means of questionnaires distributed in a number of schools in Modena, Reggio Emilia and Genova. These questionnaires were given to professionals, students, and parents in kindergartens, primary schools and lower and higher secondary schools. However, here we only focus on data collected from professionals and parents.This data shows how participants express ambivalence and disorientation concerning representations of hybridization, celebration of cultural differences, understanding of problems related to intercultural differences and assimilation. Moreover, significant differences exist between professionals (teachers, mediators and social workers) and between professionals and parents, who seem more frequently interested in assimilation.
More...
The transnational transitions of migrant children are complex, mobility-affected processes during which they mediate between various social fields. Their attachment to these fields is often determined by different socialization agents, among which great attention should be paid to peers and friends. Peers not only introduce a new culture and society to migrant children but also affect the young migrants’ motivation, formation of identity, and group socialization. This study adopts the theory of social capital and agency, defined by Putnam, to explore migrant children’s peer socialization strategies. It draws on qualitative research with migrant children in Poland aged 8–13, their parents, and their teachers, and is based on a child-centered approach. The findings present three main ways in which migrant children exercise their own agency to build social capital by maintaining ethnic/non-ethnic ties in the receiving country. The age, gender, and ethnic differences that appear in the application of peer socialization strategies are also revealed.
More...
This article presents empirical findings from the H2020 CHILD UP project with an investigation of the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on migrant children’s education and wellbeing in school. It aims to understand if and how the new education landscape and hybrid learning initiatives have changed inclusive education efforts geared towards migrant students in two Communities of Belgium. ‘Inclusive education’ is a key term often used in pedagogical discourse and describes an ideal situation where the unique, individual educational needs of each child can be met while the child remains in the mainstream classroom. The particular needs of migrant students, however, are often overlooked in inclusive education discourse, and their position can become even more complicated with the added pressures of the pandemic. Through questionnaires and interviews with students, teachers, and other school actors, we found that migrant students were often disproportionately negatively impacted by hybrid and remote learning measures, but that the situation also offered some surprising opportunities for mentoring and peer support and these contrasting outcomes are presented here.
More...
The article is devoted to an evaluation of school staff teaching and education experiences in an intercultural environment. A part of the MiCREATE project is presented, consisting of forty four interviews and six focus group interviews with thirty-seven teachers and other school staff from educational institutions across Poland, and more consistently in Krakow. A brief overview of the findings is presented, focused on contemporary shortcomings in diversity teaching, opportunities to enhance intercultural perspectives in education and child-centered approach. The findings are then compared with past and other existing studies to identify similarities and differences. This will be helpful in planning further research activities and shaping intercultural policy in Polish education.
More...
The article discusses selected aspects of the activity of the For the Earth Association aiming to integrate refugee children and women into Polish society. The methodology of case study research is used in order to explore the issue and present the data. The study begins by discussing the role and functions of non-governmental organisations and the nature of the integration process, before outlining a brief history of the formation and activity of the association. The final section presents selected projects with the participation of refugee children and certain groups of Polish society which have emphasised the aspect of integration with Polish society. The analysis of the association’s activity substantiates the hypothesis that it fulfils an integrative function through various forms of education, while also characterising the activity as methods of intercultural activation.
More...