The European Migrant Crisis

FRONT COVER Nº 05/01 The European Migrant Crisis: Psychology, Conflict, and Intergroup Relations Conflict, and Intergroup Migrant Crisis: Psychology, The European The European 5 Migrant Crisis: Nº 01 > POLICY REPORT< Migration, Social Inclusion Psychology, and Peaceful Societies Conﬂ ict, and Intergroup Relations > Jasper Johnston 11 Nº 05/01 Nº 05/01 The European Migrant Crisis: Psychology, Conflict, and Intergroup Relations Conflict, and Intergroup Migrant Crisis: Psychology, The European The European Migrant Crisis: Psychology, Conflict, and Intergroup Relations Conflict, and Intergroup Migrant Crisis: Psychology, The European The European Migrant Contents Crisis: Psychology, Conflict, and Summary | p. 3 Intergroup Relations Introduction | p. 4 Jasper Johnston Psychological Phenomena | p. 7 A United Nations University Institute on Globalization, Culture and Mobility Policy Recommendations | p.11 report from the series Migration, Social Educational Reform Inclusion and Peaceful Societies. Reframing the Crisis Building Migrant Networks Conclusion | p. 14 Appendix | p. 16 References | p. 18 ISSN 2617-6807 United Nations University Institute on Globalization, Culture and Mobility Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site Sant Manuel Pavilion C/ Sant Antoni Maria Claret, 167 08025 Barcelona, Spain Acknowledgements Visit UNU-GCM online: gcm.unu.edu The author wishes to thank Dr. Parvati Nair, Dr. Valeria Bello, Dr. Prerana Bharadwaj, Ottavia Copyright © 2018 United Nations University Ampuero Villagran, Menaal Munshey, Institute on Globalization, Culture and Mobility Camilla Suarez, Kathleen Prior, and All Rights Reserved Anna Eknor for their input during the writing and editing of this report. Printed in Barcelona, 2018 2 1 Nº 05/01 Nº 05/01 The European Migrant Crisis: Psychology, Conflict, and Intergroup Relations Conflict, and Intergroup Migrant Crisis: Psychology, The European The European Migrant Crisis: Psychology, Conflict, and Intergroup Relations Conflict, and Intergroup Migrant Crisis: Psychology, The European Summary n recent years, the “European Migrant Crisis” has Idominated media headlines around the world, serving as an international call to action to address the complex issues that migrants and citizens of migrant-receiving regions face. While the movement of people has often contributed to intergroup tensions across time, the strengthening of national borders and identities in the twentieth century has restricted the flow of migrants and, particularly in the past decade, made many people view the phenomenon as a threat to their countries, cultures, and livelihoods. s the United Nations prepares its landmark Global A Compacts on Migration and Refugees, it is important to consider the impact of migration through multiple lenses, so that the agreements can be as comprehensive and successful as possible. This report uses the current state of undocumented migration to Europe as a case study, analyzing it through an intergroup psychology lens. From this case study, lessons applicable to other migratory contexts can be drawn. Based on psychological theory—including theories of social identity, realistic group conflict, intergroup threat, and intergroup contact—this report makes several recommendations with the goal of ultimately reducing intergroup conflict and improving the integration of migrants into receiving societies. These recommendations include: updating European education systems’ accessibilities and curricula to reflect the new diversity, reframing the crisis both as a one of governance and political responsibility as well as a humanitarian crisis, and building and/or supporting “The strengthening of national borders “migrant networks” to increase access to civic and and identities in the twentieth century governmental institutions. has restricted the flow of migrants and, particularly in the past decade, made many people view the phenomenon as a threat to ✤ A family cross the border fence between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, making their way on foot into central Europe to seek asylum. In 2015, more than one million fled to Europe, the large majority escaping conflict and persecution in their countries, cultures, and livelihoods.” Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. © Ververidis Vasilis. Idomeni, Greece. September 2015. 2 3 Nº 05/01 Nº 05/01 Nº 05/01 The European Migrant Crisis: Psychology, Conflict, and Intergroup Relations Conflict, and Intergroup Migrant Crisis: Psychology, The European The European Migrant Crisis: Psychology, Conflict, and Intergroup Relations Conflict, and Intergroup Migrant Crisis: Psychology, The European engaging in discussions regarding migration, it is important important commitments to address Introduction to acknowledge the extent to which socioeconomics, race, the many issues migrants and refugees gender, culture, religion and legal status are tied to the face, including prompting the drafting igration from the Middle East treatment of migrants. Transnational businesspeople and of the Global Compacts on Migration M and North Africa onto the diplomats who are based in multiple countries are rarely and Refugees which are currently being European continent has been present categorized as “migrants,” despite their technically falling prepared and negotiated by policy for thousands of years, from the trading into the broad category. The same goes for tourists or makers (“New York Declaration,” 2018). routes of the ancient Greeks and “snowbirds,” who spend cold winter months in warmer, The Declaration has been criticized Romans to the refugees of the early southern destinations. Only when people of lower by numerous observers for its lack of 21st century (Kassar et al., 2014). While socioeconomic status or from a race or culture stereotypically commitments to concrete actions but the movement of people has often associated with the Global South migrate into the Global is generally seen as positive diplomatic contributed to intergroup tensions North does the label of “migrant” enter the vernacular, progress (Borger & Kingsley, 2016). across time, the strengthening of contributing to the entrenchment of ingroup and outgroup national borders and regional identities divisions. For the purposes of this report, the term “migrant” espite these efforts by the United in the 20th century has restricted the in the European context, unless otherwise specified, will refer D Nations, intergroup tensions have flow of migrants and, particularly in the exclusively to undocumented migrants. flared over the past year as acts of terror past decade, made many Europeans committed by extremists, who also view the phenomenon as a threat to odern undocumented migration into Europe peaked happen to be immigrants, in England, their countries, cultures, and livelihoods M in 2015, when well over one million migrants crossed Sweden, Germany, France, and Spain (Holmes & Castañeda, 2016). Most onto the continent—a large increase from around 300,000 the have reignited nativist fears (Fattah & recently, the intercontinental migration year before—triggering the coining of the term “crisis” and Nasseri, 2017). These tensions have of undocumented peoples into Europe an outpouring of global media attention (Goodman et al., contributed to an increase in prejudice has been termed the “European 2017; “Annual Risk Analysis,” 2015). In particular, images of and discrimination against minority Migrant/Refugee Crisis,” as millions the refugees, including the now famous photo of three-year- groups—both native and immigrant—as of people from Syria, Afghanistan, old Alan Kurdi dead on a Turkish beach, stirred international well as to the reemergence of far- Iraq, and other nearby countries have support, which served as a call to action to European leaders right political parties in France, Italy, fled regional violence and instability (Cole, 2017). Countries reacted differently, with responses Germany, and Hungary (Tartar, 2017). In (“Migrant crisis,” 2016). ranging from Germany, which launched a new program to order to better understand the current admit and settle tens-of-thousands of refugees, taking in situation and growing intergroup edia and governmental over 150,000 asylees in 2015 alone, to the United Kingdom, tensions in Europe, so that solutions to M policies often categorize which did not commit to accepting any specified number mitigate them might be developed, it these undocumented migrants into of refugees and voted in June of 2016 to remove itself from is important to grasp the psychological two groups— “economic migrants” the European Union, in part in order to reduce immigration foundations of group formation and and “refugees” [see Appendix A]. (Ostrand, 2015; “Migrant crisis,” 2016; Levy, Aslan & Bironzo, intergroup power differences. While While legal definitions require strict 2017). It is very likely that politics, moral beliefs, stereotypes, the next section of this report will delineations to be drawn, reality is and existing government diversity policies influenced these offer a synthesis of several theoretical more complex—refugees, while moving responses, though the extent to which each did is unclear. psychology frameworks that are relevant primarily due to a “well-founded fear to analyzing migration and intergroup ✤ 1. A group of men, women and children arrive to the shores of the Greek island of persecution,” also seek better he United Nations also responded, through agencies tensions, it should be noted that these of Lesbos, after risking their lives crossing the treacherous Aegean Sea on a

Load more