How much longer?: An ethnographic exploration and methodological reflection of documentation, temporalities and collaborative zine-making in the context of the Dutch migration system

Thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers are entering the Netherlands in various (legal) ways and are stuck in a waiting time in different aspects of their procedures of acquiring residency. This research project explores realms of migrating to the Netherlands by focussing on the perception of temporalities, documentation and communication with Dutch authorities like the IND (Immigration and Naturalization Service). Diving into the theoretical concepts of power-chronography, delaying, waiting and errance, I explore how appointments with the IND, being transferred, and having no legal residence documents and other (bureaucratic) challenges are experiences in the lived experiences of my collaborators. All four collaborators present in this thesis, as well in the audiovisual output in the form of a zine, have their own ambitions and coping strategies with caring for their time while being in documentation and bureaucratic challenges, such as waiting for the second interview with the...Show moreThousands of migrants and asylum-seekers are entering the Netherlands in various (legal) ways and are stuck in a waiting time in different aspects of their procedures of acquiring residency. This research project explores realms of migrating to the Netherlands by focussing on the perception of temporalities, documentation and communication with Dutch authorities like the IND (Immigration and Naturalization Service). Diving into the theoretical concepts of power-chronography, delaying, waiting and errance, I explore how appointments with the IND, being transferred, and having no legal residence documents and other (bureaucratic) challenges are experiences in the lived experiences of my collaborators. All four collaborators present in this thesis, as well in the audiovisual output in the form of a zine, have their own ambitions and coping strategies with caring for their time while being in documentation and bureaucratic challenges, such as waiting for the second interview with the IND. Embedded within the framework of visual ethnography, this thesis attempts to dive into methodological reflections of zine-making as process and as audio-visual product in a multimodal way (including film and soundscapes accessible via QR codes). Together with the four young male collaborators from Kenya, Guinea, Yemen and Afghanistan, we aim to show parts of the asylum procedure in an artistic manner and critically question the current Dutch migration system and distribute the zines to engage with the research in line with the zine history of anti-institutionalism and activism. This research contributes to critically unpacking what the intersections of power, documentation and temporalities mean for the four collaborators in their lived experiences, shedding light on in which forms they find agency and control while currently being in the residency acquiring in the Netherlands. Thereby this research project in form of the written thesis and the accompanying zine contribute to the discourse of temporalities and migration.Show less

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How much longer? An ethnographic exploration and methodological reflection of documentation, temporalities and collaborative zine-making in the context of the Dutch migration system