Understanding Refugees’ Conditions in Aegean Hotspots &amp; The Infrastructure(s) that Exist to Support Them: The Case of Chios &amp; VIAL

The Syrian Refugee Crisis has, since it happened in 2015, reshaped the face of migration in the European continent, marking various responses to how refugees are perceived and how borders need to be enforced. EU states are expected to protect the geographical borders that fall under their jurisdiction, while simultaneously being confronted with a large influx of refugees. Investigating a refugee camp in VIAL, Chios through oral interviews conducted with workers who are employed there, this thesis will answer: what is the perception of the impact that refugees living in Chios have, and how is that manifested in border management discourse? To successfully do so, the responses of the workers will be analyzed, as a case study to understand refugees' conditions in Aegean hotspots. In doing so, it also explores what infrastructure is needed to help refugees transition towards becoming parts of the societies in which they have arrived: and even what sort of urban planning needs to be...Show moreThe Syrian Refugee Crisis has, since it happened in 2015, reshaped the face of migration in the European continent, marking various responses to how refugees are perceived and how borders need to be enforced. EU states are expected to protect the geographical borders that fall under their jurisdiction, while simultaneously being confronted with a large influx of refugees. Investigating a refugee camp in VIAL, Chios through oral interviews conducted with workers who are employed there, this thesis will answer: what is the perception of the impact that refugees living in Chios have, and how is that manifested in border management discourse? To successfully do so, the responses of the workers will be analyzed, as a case study to understand refugees' conditions in Aegean hotspots. In doing so, it also explores what infrastructure is needed to help refugees transition towards becoming parts of the societies in which they have arrived: and even what sort of urban planning needs to be altered to make such an existence plausible. The role that various actors play in VIAL, Chios is presented, along with the limitations and pitfalls of what they can do for the populations residing there. Competing narratives on the migration debate are presented, as well as the ambivalent notions of “refugee integration” and “border management.”Show less

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Understanding Refugees’ Conditions in Aegean Hotspots & The Infrastructure(s) that Exist to Support Them: The Case of Chios & VIAL