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Inhalte:
The current increase in the number of undocumented migrants and refugees travelling from the North African coast to Europe has revitalized the debate on contemporary migration. This debate is a subject of interest not only to politicians, policy makers, citizensand humanitarian workers mostly in transit and (prospective) host countries but also to scholars who are engaged in migration and refugees studies. Refugees seeking to cross from North Africa into Europe remain undeterred by reports on their fellows who have perished on the high seasover the years with the number of victims rising in recent years. These migrantsand this paradox are not a case in isolation; their situation reflects, perhaps in a more dramatic fashion, contemporary global movements in terms of both South-North and South-South migration. Similar refugee crises include Australia’s efforts to block entry into its territory by Afghan refugees arriving in ferries and boats, Thailand forcibly removing from its territory Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, xenophobic attacks in South Africa and Kenya closing its border with Somalia to keep out Somali asylum seekers and its quest to send back Somali refugees.
This seminar addresses the tension between humanitarian law, morality, humanism and human rights in relation to economic, political and socio-cultural interestsarising from influxes inglobal mobility. While the spotlight is mostly on refugees and their host countries, the challenge of dealing with refugee movement is increasingly drawing attention to sending countries in ways that demonstrate the nexus between humanitarianism and politics.For example, host countries have started speaking out on the need for sending countries to respect citizens’ rights so that politically and economically stable countries are not overburdened. For example, in early 2015, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa reacted to criticism on xenophobic attacks by asking why other African countries’ citizens were in South Africa. As such, one can talk about the principle of apolitical humanitarianism and burden sharing being supplanted by political humanitarianism which involves contestation of rights and obligations. Using case material from both the global North (e.g. Australia, the US, Britain and France) and South (e.g. Kenya, South Africa, Thailand and Bangladesh), the seminar draws attention to conceptualization and varying meanings of borders, regimes of containment and policing of refugee bodies. The seminar also focuses on Germany which is currently dealing with an influx in the number of refugees seeking refuge on its territory. In addressing these issues, the seminar juxtaposes victimhood and initiative. It imbeds discussion of refugee movement and rights in the context of security, identity, space, belonging and hierarchies of ‘otherness’. |
| Bemerkung |
Bitte melden Sie sich hier ausschl. für das fachfremde Modul E3 Studium liberale an. (Als Fachstudent wählen Sie zur Anmeldung das fachintern übliche Verfahren; bei LSF: die gleichnamige Veranstaltung ohne das Präfix E3.) Online-Anmeldung ab dem 25.09.2015. Weitere Informationen zum Modul E3/Studium liberale, alle Veranstaltungen in chronologischer Reihenfolge, eine Liste freier Plätze etc. finden sie unter dem oben genannten Link. |
