Helping Hands. Research Network on the Borderwork of European Citizens.

As a consequence of people fleeing their home countries, especially Syria, and an increasing territorialisation of Islamic State, Europe is currently experiencing an almost unprecedented refugee crisis. Among European citizens reactions to the crisis differ; enhanced violence, discrimination, xenophobia and calls to close the European state borders are observed along with opposite movements, in which
European citizens choose to support the refugees – upon arrival as well as in arriving. The interdisciplinary scope of the research network is to bring together researchers from Migration Studies, Border Studies and European Studies to explore the motives behind and rationales of these aiding initiatives, while focusing on North-West Europe. This will feed into future collaborative project proposals as well as research and educational activities that build on exchange of knowledge between Border, European and Migration Studies, an exchange which is currently not explored to its fullest.

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