Aug 2017 – Dec 2022
The primary objective of this project is to understand how new types of humanitarian spaces are created and carved out outside, on and inside the geographical borders destined to govern mobility. This involves three secondary objectives:
The external borders of the European Union (EU) have come under increased scrutiny in recent years, especially with what has become known as the 'refugee crisis'. New situations of humanitarian suffering have emerged, outside, along and inside the European borders, in different ways related to the difficulty or impossibility for some individuals to cross these borders.
This has led to the emergence of new 'humanitarian spaces'
alongside the border security agencies with a mandate to control the
borders, as well as inside Europe. These new 'humanitarian spaces' differ in
many ways from how they have been understood traditionally in the global
borderlands. The HumBORDER project examines these new humanitarian
spaces, and how they in different ways are due to and how they relate
to border regimes and the politics destined to govern mobility. As part of this development, the project also analyzes the humanitarian and security interfaces in Europe through a socio-legal analysis of the evolving boundaries between legality and illegality in humanitarian action, and the turn to criminalization as a mode of governing humanitarian space as well as the self-protection practices of people on the move. The project explores the co-constitutive relationship between processes of legalization and regulation and the rise of illegalities.
The HumBORDER project takes a global scope to understand the role of borders in humanitarianism, and the European Union and the 'refugee crisis' as a specific case to study the new issues that arise. It does so through a three-pronged methodological approach:
By investigating these issues through a multidisciplinary approach, at the core of contemporary humanitarianism, the HumBORDER project will contribute to further developing the emergent thematic sub-field of a Political Sociology of Humanitarianism
The HumBORDER project held its closing seminar on 1-2 December 2022 at PRIO. Looking back at the humanitarian borders of Europe from 2015-2022 the first part of the seminar assessed different manifestations and dynamics of these borders.
Mathias Hatleskog Tjønn has contibuted to the panel, Africa Now: Migration Governance - the Emergency Transit Mechanism in Rwanda, hosted by the Norwegian Council for Africa with his knowledge on colonial history, migration studies and the Mediterranean politics.
On Tuesday, 8 March, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi visited PRIO to participate in a panel discussion. The topic of discussion was how we best respond to global displacement.
The new book Citizen Humanitarianism at European Borders, edited by Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert and Elisa Pascucci explores the emerging trend of citizen-led forms of aid at the borders of Europe, in a time of escalating conflict between states and NGOs engaged in migrant search and rescue operations across the Mediterranean.
As refugees and other migrants arrived in increased numbers to Europe during the summer of 2015, many citizens across Europe mobilized to provide basic assistance in different ways along the route: from food, shelter, clothes, to access to wifi and charging stations for mobile phones. Alongside the massive political and media attention to the migrants arriving, was also this phenomenon: the widespread mobilization of volunteers, many whom had never or rarely been involved in volunteer initiatives earlier. As the number of people wanting to help grew rapidly, the initiatives needed to organize and create structures to coordinate the volunteers. How did this transition from spontaneous volunteer initiatives, at a moment with high media and political attention, materialize into formalized structures, responding to needs and contexts that also changed over time?
Four PRIO researchers have contributed to the upcoming book 'REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT: Power, Politics, and Humanitarian Governance'. The collection, which will be released this month, examines the issue from various angles, including the social, legal, historical, and political ramifications.
The book was edited by Adèle Garnier, Liliana Lyra Jubilut, and Kristin Bergtora Sandvik.
PRIO's security and humanitarianism research milieus join forces to explore one of today's most relevant issues.
Several new PRIO projects have received funding from the Research Council of Norway's FRIHUMSAM funding program.
Popular Article in Refugee Law Initiative
Popular Article in Refugee Law Initiative
Popular Article in Refugee Law Initiative
PRIO Policy Brief
Journal Article in European Security
Journal Article in International Migration
Popular Article in Peace News Network
Popular Article in Bill of Health
Popular Article in Border Criminologies blog
Journal Article in Journal of International Migration and Integration
Popular Article in RLI Blog on Refugee Law and Forced Migration
Popular Article in RLI Blog on Refugee Law and Forced Migration
PRIO Policy Brief
Book Chapter in Citizen Humanitarianism at European Borders
Book Chapter in Citizen Humanitarianism at European Borders
Popular Article in ISS blog on Global Development and Social Justice
Edited Volume
Journal Article in Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
Popular Article in Border Criminologies
Popular Article in Border Criminologies
Popular Article in Border Criminologies
Popular Article in Border Criminologies
Journal Article in International Migration
Popular Article in Aftenposten
Journal Article in Journal of International Humanitarian Action
Popular Article in ALNAP
Popular Article in The Conversation
PRIO Paper
Book Review
Book Chapter in Refugee Resettlement: Power, Politics and Humanitarian Governance
Book Chapter in Irregular Migration as a Challenge for Democracy
Journal Article in Disasters