New Migrant Space in Urban Europe: Suspended Citizenship and the Challenge of Integration

Description

In 2015, more than one million forcibly displaced people crossed the Mediterranean by boat. Many succeeded in finding refuge in Germany and Sweden, but tens of thousands found themselves trapped in Greece and Italy, unable to reunite with their family members. Derelict and abandoned land, railway and bus stations, bridges, and disused buildings became home to a growing undocumented migrant population who could neither regularize themselves as lawful residents nor legally access work, education, health, housing, or social services. The notorious ex-"Jungle" camp in Calais, France, was but the most well-known example of abject migrant spaces across Europe that have been subject to frequent and often violent police suppression. In this lecture, Parker looks at how marginal urban spaces have been transformed by the presence of these "suspended lives," but also how local authorities and nongovernmental organizations have succeeded in making new arrivals welcome and integrated within the local community.

Period	2 Nov 2018
Held at	Cornell University, United States
Degree of Recognition	International