Borderlands and Solidarities

In the podcast we have a conversation with Shahram Khosravi, former taxi driver, professor and writer, about different topics. We start from his last work ‘Waiting. A project in conversation’ going after to ‘Illegal travellers: An Auto-Ethnography of Borders’. We continue talking about academia and research highlighting the ‘border’ we find inside it and we finish discussing about smugllers and freedom of movement in the contemporary scenario.

Dans cette entretien avec Silvia Di Meo (Université de Gênes), Hassen Boubakri (Université de Sousse) analyse la construction de la Tunisie et des espaces transfrontalières comme des zones de confinement des migrants produites par les politiques d’externalisation des frontières européennes. En outre, pendant la discussion le professeur Boubakri se focalise sur le rôle des acteurs solidaires dans la route migratoire et sur la croissante importance des pratiques de recherche académique engagées dans la solidarité.

In this interview with Silvia Di Meo (University of Genoa), Hassen Boubakri (University of Sousse) analyzes the construction of Tunisia and cross-border spaces as zones of confinement of migrants produced by policies of externalization of European borders. In addition, during the discussion, Professor Boubakri focuses on the role of solidarity actors in the migration route and on the growing importance of academic research practices engaged in solidarity.

Photo credits: 'Department for International Development/Kate Joseph'.

Marianne Palisse, Frech Guyane – Frontières, migrations et diversité culturelle en Guyane française
L’épisode, grâce à l’intervention de Marianne Palisse – Maître de conférences en anthropologie à l’Université de Guyane – se concentre sur la question complexe des migrations en Guyane, qui s’inscrit dans un contexte multiculturel, lié à l’histoire coloniale; Parallèlement, l’épisode analyse les mouvements et mobilisations contemporains autour des migrations dans ce territoire français d’Amérique du Sud.

Marianne Palisse, Frech Guiana – Borders, migrations and cultural diversity in French Guyana
The episode, thanks to the intervention of Marianne Palisse – Lecturer in Anthropology at the University of Guyane – focuses on the complex migration issue in French Guiana, which is part of a multicultural context, linked to the colonial history; at the same time, the episode analyzes contemporary mouvements and mobilizations around migrations in this French territory in South America.

Jacopo Anderlini (University of Genoa) interviews Didem Danış (University of Galatasaray) on the current trends and aspects of migration in Turkey. The episode addresses the role of the country as a transit and buffer zone in the EU migratory management, and also as a country of destination, highlighting the composition of asylum seekers’ and refugees’ presence. Based on her fieldwork in Istanbul, Didem Danış depict the complex relations between NGOs – that she calls “pro-governamental organisations” –, state institutions, local authorities, members of the ruling party AKP and self-organised migrants’ networks.

References:
Danış, D., and D. Nazlı. 2019. ‘A Faithful Alliance Between the Civil Society and the State: Actors and Mechanisms of Accommodating Syrian Refugees in Istanbul’. International Migration 57 (2): 143–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12495;
Sert, D.Ş. and Danış, D. (2020), Framing Syrians in Turkey: State
Control and No Crisis Discourse. Int Migr.
https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12753

Enrico Fravega (University of Trento) interviews Luca Giliberti (University of Genoa) author of the book “Abitare la frontiera”, published by Ombre Corte. The book is the result of a three years of ethnographic research process, carried on on the Italian-French border of Val Roja, a focal point in  the migratory routes towards France and Northern Europe. Through the point of view of the people living there the author describe tensions and contraddictions in solidarity practices and local belonging.

Enrico Fravega (Università di Trento) intervista Luca Giliberti (Università di Genova) autore del libro “Abitare la frontiera”, edito da Ombre Corte. Il libro, frutto di una ricerca etnografica durata tre anni, racconta la frontiera italo-francese della Val Roja, punto chiave delle rotte migratorie verso la Francia e il Nord Europa. Attraverso il punto di vista delle persone che vivono lì, l’autore descrive le tensioni e le contraddizioni che si innestano nelle pratiche di solidarietà e nel senso di appartenenza al territorio.

Link: http://www.ombrecorte.it/index.php/prodotto/abitare-la-frontiera/

L’épisode sur Mayotte se focalise, grâce à l’intervention de Georgeta Stoica – Maitresse de Conférence en Anthropologie au Centre Universitaire de Formation et Recherche Mayotte – sur la complexe pression migratoire dans l’ile, qui fait partie de la France encore qui est situé dans l’océan Indien, et sur les contradictions de l’accueil dans l’Europe “hors Europe”.

Thanks to the contribution of Georgeta Stoica – Lecturer in Anthropology at the Mayotte University Training and Research Center – this episode focuses on the migratory pressure complex in Mayotte, which is a part of France located in the Indian Ocean, and on the contradictions of migrants’ reception in Europe “outside Europe”.

L’épisode sur la Belgique se focalise, grâce à l’intervention de Marco Martiniello, Professeur de Sociologie à l’Université de Liège et directeur du CEDEM (Centre d’Études de l’Ethnicité et des Migrations) d’un côté sur les différents mobilisations sociales et débats publics par rapport à la migration, de l’autre côté sur le rapport entre art, migrations, solidarités.

References:
Rea A., Martiniello M., Mazzola A., Meuleman B., (eds) 2019, The refugee reception crisis in Europe. Polarized opinions and mobilizations, ULB Press: Brussels.
Open access: https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/230949/1/1005529.pdf
Martiniello M. (Ed) 2019, Arts and Refugees: Multidisciplinary Perspectives, in Arts, 8. https://www.mdpi.com/journal/arts/special_issues/arts_refugees

Thanks to the countribution of Khalid Mouna – Professor of Anthropology at the Moulay Ismail University of Meknes and currently resident researcher at the Institute of Advanced Research of Nantes – this episode focuses on on Morocco an on the dynamics, the forms of organisation and solidarity practices in the camps of migrants who attempt the “Boza” to arrive in Europe.

L’épisode sur le Maroc se focalise, grâce à l’intervention de Khalid Mouna – Professeur de Anthropologie à l’Université Moulay Ismail de Meknès et actuellement chercheur résident à l’Institut de Recherche Avancée de Nantes – sur les dynamiques, les forme d’organisation et les pratiques de solidarité dans les camps des migrants qui essayent la “Boza” pour arriver en Europe.

Mouna K., Kchikach Z., 2020, Préparer la Boza. L’ethnographie d’un campement des migrants subsahariens à Fès, en Faouzi H., Khachani M., Anir W. (Sous la direction de), Migrations, représentations sociales et stéréotypes. L’Harmattan: Paris.

Mouna K., Harrami N., Maghraoui D. (Sous la direction de) 2017, L’immigration au Maroc. Les défis de l’intégration. Böll Stiftung, Rabat Social Studies Institute, Université Moulay Ismail. Collection RSSI.