1Ludger Pries, Anna Gansbergen, Chair of Sociology / Organization, Migration, Participation, Faculty of Social Science

The MAREM project: Aims and methodsAnna Gansbergen/Ludger Pries

Ruhr-University Bochum, GermanyINTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP “ASYLUM SEEKERS AND RELATED POLICIES IN SOUTHERN

COUNTRIES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION”3rd - 4th of July 2014

1. Context of MAREM2. Aims of MAREM3. Methods of MAREM

2Ludger Pries, Anna Gansbergen, Chair of Sociology / Organization, Migration, Participation, Faculty of Social Science

http://free-group.eu/texts/AFSJ EU AGENCIESFundamental Rights AgencyEurojustEuropolOLAF (European Anti-Fraud Office)FrontexEuropean Asylum Support OfficeENISAEMCDDAAGENCY for large-scale IT systems in the AFSJ

1. Context and framing of the MAREM-project

Revised Directives: • Asylum Procedures• Reception Conditions• Qualification

Revised Regulations:• Dublin Regulation• EURODAC Regulation

3Ludger Pries, Anna Gansbergen, Chair of Sociology / Organization, Migration, Participation, Faculty of Social Science

Since 2000 almost 20.000 migrants died in the Mediterranean when trying to enter the EU.

1. Context and framing of the MAREM-project

Some 40.000 persons risked crossing the Mediterranean in 2013.“Italy says that as many as 800,000 migrants are massing in Lybia now with the intent of reaching Italy.” (NYT/SZ 23.05.2014)About 2.5 Mio. Syrian refugees out of a total of in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. Only almost 60.000 Syrian refugees declared political asylum in EU.

4Ludger Pries, Anna Gansbergen, Chair of Sociology / Organization, Migration, Participation, Faculty of Social Science

1. Context and framing of the MAREM-project

Concerning refugees and asylum: gap between “talk” and “action”gap between societal reality and EU declarations, as well as international law and human rights law

How could this gap be explained scientifically?

1. Rationalist-realist approach: Countries of EU and EU as a whole not interested in destiny of refugees and asylum seekers; “talk” as window dressing, no serious “action” intended

2. Value-inefficiency approach: Countries of EU and EU as a whole interested in destiny of refugees and asylum seekers, but unable to guarantee; serious “talk” but inefficient “action”

3. Multilevel institutionalist collective actors approach:Different collective actors’ aims and strategies at European, national and local level; many different “talks and actions”, in many fields and at all levels tensions between “talk and action”, but in the long run decoupling of “talk” and “action” impossible

5Ludger Pries, Anna Gansbergen, Chair of Sociology / Organization, Migration, Participation, Faculty of Social Science

1. EU levelHistory, trajectory, cyclepolitical forces, interestsorganizations

2. National levelHistory, trajectory, cyclepolitical forces, interestsorganizations

3. Local levelHistory, trajectory, cyclepolitical forces, interestsorganizations

Focus on collective actors in their organizational fields and networks as the articulation and connection between asylum seekers/refugees and the general societal context:1. What are main collective actors in the field? (politicians, administrative groups, NGOs)?2. What are actors’ characteristics? (norms/values, organisational agenda, organisational field of legitimation, relation internal-external logics)

1. Context and framing of the MAREM-project

6Ludger Pries, Anna Gansbergen, Chair of Sociology / Organization, Migration, Participation, Faculty of Social Science

1. Context and framing of the MAREM-project

Organization

Actor types

Name Driving norms & values

Dominant issue

Field of action & legitimacy

Ressource mobilization

Political decision makers

PSOEAlianza Pop.Converg. i Unió

Social-democr. Multiple issues National Balanced

Official-executive actors

Guardia CivilPolicía Nac.Frontex

Paramilitary Law & order National External

Civil society collective actors/ NGOs

ACCEMCruz Roja ESACNUR

Human rights, diversity, justice compromise

A&R National, regional, local

Balanced (national, EU etc.)

Scientific & monitoring organizations

ECRE Human rights and EU law

CEAS EU, monitoring Exernal

Others (travel agencies, smugglers)

Smuggling network

Profit making Migrant smuggling

Informal networks of knowledge and trust

External

Where do ressources (money, members, influence

etc.) come from?Internal, external

balanced

On which level are activities framed

and directed? local, regional,

national, EU, global

Which are the main issues of the organization?Single issue

(asylum&refugees), multiple issues

What are the driving norms and

values of the organization?

religious, political, human rights etc.

7Ludger Pries, Anna Gansbergen, Chair of Sociology / Organization, Migration, Participation, Faculty of Social Science

1. Context and framing of the MAREM-project

Structural framing• Mediterranean EU-countries are vulnerable to irregular immigration by their

geographical position and have difficulties to cope with it.• Current migration routes show the highest concentration of irregular migration into

the EU on Southern maritime borders of the European Union. • In 2011 the internal security and home affairs ministers of Greece, Cyprus, Malta,

Italy and Spain stressed their concerns about humanitarian situation in Northern Africa and current migration flows as its consequence.

• The routes to Europe over the sea are amongst the most dangerous in the world.

Hypothesis on tendencies of change • The EU is a supranational framework of unbalanced power relations, competing

interests and contested terrains.• CEAS is a nice program as “talk”, but hardly harmonized at national and local level.• As asylum and refugee issues are contested issues everywhere, NIMBY ("Not In My

Back Yard“, Florian principle) is dominant reaction at the national and local level.• A European public space of asylum and refugee issues is emerging where collective

actors have to legitimize their “talk” and “action”. • The stronger this public space, the faster CEAS will turn from “talk” to “action”.

8Ludger Pries, Anna Gansbergen, Chair of Sociology / Organization, Migration, Participation, Faculty of Social Science

2. Aims of MAREM

Scientific aims

• To gain a scientific understanding of (1) current European migration policy, (2) situation of asylum seekers and refugees, (3) corresponding scientific and NGOs

• To publish checked information on these topics for a broader public by developing a Google-Earth-based information and knowledge platform

• To draw attention to the situation of refugees in the Mediterranean

• To share evidence-based knowledge in order to support the improvement of refugees situation and of European asylum politics′

9Ludger Pries, Anna Gansbergen, Chair of Sociology / Organization, Migration, Participation, Faculty of Social Science

2. Aims of MAREM

The information to gather is focused on:

1. arrival points and situation of refugees in Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain,

2. corresponding national and European migration regimes and

3. official executive actors, scientific and NGO networks dealing with this topic.

10Ludger Pries, Anna Gansbergen, Chair of Sociology / Organization, Migration, Participation, Faculty of Social Science

2. Aims of MAREM

Teaching aims:• To train students in scientific research on current and relevant topics i.e. how to:– develop a research agenda, – construct a questionnaire, – conduct different types of interviews,– transcribe interviews,– present results in a scientific conference.

• To prepare students for participating in discussions topics with relevant actors.

• To train students in cross-cultural competence and cross-national scientific research.

• To guide students in dealing with ethically sensitive topics.

• To lead students in combining evidence based scientific work with social responsibility.

11Ludger Pries, Anna Gansbergen, Chair of Sociology / Organization, Migration, Participation, Faculty of Social Science

Methodological proceeding of “teaching by research”:

Course work during winter term Oct. 2013 – Febr. 2014 Social science of migration, flight and asylum, state of scientific researchPreparation, training and document analysisSearching interview partners and organizing field work

Field work In March 2014Document and data gathering in Italy, Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Malta.Expert interviews with representatives of NGOs, research institutions, international and governmental organizations dealing with asylum seekers and refugees.Narrative interviews with asylum seekers and refugees

Course work during summer term Apr. 2014 – July 2014Interview transcriptions and document analysisInterchanging and comparing country studies Preparing an international workshop and presentation of papers

3. Methods of MAREM

12Ludger Pries, Anna Gansbergen, Chair of Sociology / Organization, Migration, Participation, Faculty of Social Science

Thank you for your attention!