Open Centres for Migrants, Asylum Seekers, and Refugees in Europe

INTRODUCTION:

I am in the process of completing a literature review on the Open Centre in Europe. This research is a part of my Major Research Paper for the Master of Arts in Public Policy program at Ryerson University. I have listed this as a forum topic to allow other researchers who know of key pieces of literature on this topic to post the titles here. I have attached my research proposal to this forum as well as copy and pasted it below. Thank you for your input on this matter. Please feel free to comment or critique any information posted here. I can be contacted at thomas.cameron@ryerson.ca

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A Proposal to Undertake an International Literature Review on the Open Centre for Migrants, Asylum Seekers, and Refugees in Europe

by

Thomas (Bobby) Cameron 

Abstract:

The increase of people living in long-term statelessness in Europe and elsewhere has been documented in the literature (Fassmann et al., 2009; Martin, 1999; Santel, 1995) and it is predicted that irregular migration to Europe will continue for the foreseeable future (Koser, 2005). Much of the attention towards migrants in Europe has been based on security and control (Baldwin-Edwards and Schain, 1994; Geddes, 2000; Joppke, 1998; Margheritis and Maldonado, 2007; Miles and Thränhardt, 1995). It is estimated that there are 640,000 stateless people in Europe (van Waas, 2009). Many of these individuals live in one of the hundreds of open centres (also referred to as immigration centres, foreigner’s camps, and transit centres) across the continent (Migreurop, 2003). These individuals remain marginalized and alienated from the host community and thus have few prospects for upward social and economic mobility (Mariner, 2003; and Quraishy, 2003).

The Open Centre in Europe must be viewed in the larger context of policies addressing immigration, settlement, and forced migration. The existence of the Centre reflects the reality that hundreds of individuals who are fleeing political or economic crisis are arriving at the gate of ‘Fortress Europe’ and finding themselves living in various categories of long-term statelessness, and, are being denied the benefits of full citizenship (Martin 1999).

In order to better inform policy-makers and researchers about host governments’ policy to establish Open Centres to accommodate migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees, this paper proposes an international review of English literature about the Open Centre in Europe.

Hypothesis:

Similar to refugee camps, which are usually located in ‘peripheral’ sites -- removed from the wealthy and populated areas of a host country (Diken 2004) – the location of Open Centres are also strategically planned by host countries. As a result, the residents of these spaces are removed from opportunities for social and economic advancement, yet, since the residents are able to freely leave the space of the open centre, they are also able to supply labour for the host country.

I believe that essentially, one of the purposes of Europe’s policy for managing migrants is to house these people in Open Centres and thus keep them “out of sight and out of mind” while at the same time benefit from the labour potential of the residents.

Goals of the Literature Review:

The main goal of the literature review is to better understand the Open Centre in Europe and why governments have chosen to establish such a policy. It is hoped that this review will make visible the experiences of those vulnerable populations whom reside in the centres as well as the host communities which host the Open Centres. Questions which the literature review hopes to address are:

• What are the general characteristics of the Open Centre? In a geographic, spatial, ethnic, and political (etc.) sense?
• How were migrants accommodated before the proliferation of Open Centres?
• When did governments begin to establish Open Centres ? And, why at this point in time?
• What are governments’ explicit motives for establishing Open Centres? Are there implicit motives?
• What are the affects Open Centres have on the residents of the Centres?
• What are the affects Open Centres have on the host communities within which the Centres are located?
• How does the literature reflect the Open Centre temporally? i.e. Does the literature suggest the Open Centre is a temporary or permanent establishment?

Relevance of the Project:

As demonstrated in Harrell-Bond’s (1998) literature review, much of the literature focuses on those refugee spaces which are ‘closed’ and which are known as refugee camps (see also for example Al-Khatib and Tabakhna 2006; de Montclos and Kagwanja 2000; Jansen 2008; McKelvey and Webb 1997; and Werker 2007). That is, refugee camps where the inhabitants are only able to leave the camp with special permission. The proposed review will fill gaps in the literature about spaces for migrants and refugees which are ‘open’.

Completing a comprehensive literature review of the Open Centre in Europe will provide a theoretical and conceptual basis for further research in this area. The proposed paper will be useful to those individuals who are involved in immigration, settlement, integration, and refugee policy.

The conclusion of the proposed review will include a number of recommendations for future research. I will be further elaborating upon this topic while completing a Ph.D. program.

Parameters of the Study:

The proposed paper will include an analysis of all literature which has been published on Open Centres in Europe. It will be organized thematically. A preliminary internet search (using Google and GoogleScholar) demonstrates that the literature on Open Centres comes from primarily policy documents, working papers, and media outlets. Literature from Europe, North America and elsewhere will be included in the analysis.

Key areas to be included in the analysis are:

• What is the quality of the analysis presented in the literature?
• What are the main sources of literature (scholarly articles? Media? Policy Documents? etc.)
• What are the main area(s) of immigration, settlement, and forced migration does the literature address? And, what else does the literature focus on?
• What does a combined analysis of all existing literature say about the policy of establishing Open Centres in Europe?

Bibliography

Al-Khatib, I.A. and H. Tabakhna. (2006) ‘Housing conditions and health in Jalazone Refugee
Camp in Palestine’. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal 12 (½): 144-152.

Baldwin-Edwards, M. and Schain M. (Eds). (1994). The Politics of Immigration in Western
Europe. London: Frank Cass.

Diken, B. (2004) 'From refugee camps to gated communities: biopolitics and the end of the city'. Citizenship Studies 8 (1): 83-106.

Fassmann, Heinz, Ursula Reeger, Wiebke Sievers (Eds.) (2009). Statistics and Reality: Concepts
and Measurements of Migration in Europe. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.

Geddes, A. (2000). Immigration and European Integration: Towards Fortress Europe? Manchester:
Manchester University Press.

Harrell-Bond, Barbara. (1998) ‘Camps: Literature Review’. Forced Migration Review August: 22-
23.

Joppke, C. (Ed). (1998). Challenge to the Nation State: Immigration in Western Europe and the
United States. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Koser, Khalid. (2005). Irregular migration, state security and human security. A paper prepared
for the Policy Analysis and Research Programme of the Global Commission on International Migration. Retrieved on December 11, 2009 from http://iom.int/jahia/webdav/site/myjahiasite/shared/shared/mainsite/poli....

Margheritis, Ana and Martin Maldonado. (2007) ‘Regional Integration and (Hauled) Migration
Policy: What Does The European Experience Teach Us?’ Journal of European Public Policy 14 (1): 152-166.

Mariner, Joanne. (2003) ‘Racism, Citizenship and National Identity’. Development 46 (3): 64-70.

Martin, Michael T. (1999) ‘“Fortress Europe” and Third World immigration in post-Cold War
global context’. Third World Quarterly 20 (4): 821-837.

Miles, R. and Thränhardt D. (Eds). (1995). Migration and European Integration: The Dynamics of
Inclusion and Exclusion. London: Pinter.

Migreurop. (2003). Foreigner’s Camps in Europe. Retrieved December 09, 2009 from
http://www.migreurop.org/IMG/pdf/carte-en.pdf.

Quraishy, Bashy. (2003) ‘Migration, Racism and Citizenship in Europe’. Development 46 (3): 71-
74.

Santel, Bernhard. Loss of Control: the build up of a European migration and asylum regime. In
Robert Miles and Dietrich Thranhardt (Eds.), Migration and European integration: the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion (75-91). London: Pinter Publishers Ltd.

van Waas, Laura. (2009) ‘Statelessness: A 21st century challenge for Europe’. Security and Human
Rights 20 (2): 133-146.