The War on Rescue: Humanitarianism and the European “Migration Crisis” of 2015-2020
Book Summary.
The so-called European “Migration Crisis” of 2015 to 2020 saw the movement of millions of people, in one of the most complex series of events in the twenty-first century. People from across Africa, the Middle East and Asia moved towards Europe, on the way crossing borders, conflicts, and even seas. This movement of people was characterized by two key trends: (1) the attempts of European governments to stop or divert populations on the move, and (2) the attempt by humanitarians to assist the people suffering along the way. As a result, independent humanitarian organizations came in direct conflict with the European governments and the transnational project of the EU. Humanitarians were imprisoned, quarantined, blocked, arrested, and threatened, leading to a declining ability to assist the people suffering most. This book discusses the obstruction of policies by European governments against humanitarian organizations, and the continued efforts of humanitarians to bring desperately-needed assistance to people on the move. It is based on interviews conducted with humanitarians who worked in the crisis, in Europe, on the Mediterranean, and in North Africa.
This book is being completed as part of an Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Amsterdam (Dept. of Political Science). When completed, the book will be published as academic research by an academic publisher. The project is supported by research funding from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council.
Interview requests
As part of the research for this book, I am eager to interview people who experienced the crisis as refugees or as humanitarians, and anyone else with personal experience in the events of the crisis. I am trying to ensure a diversity of voices and experiences in his process, and am eager to speak to people from less-represented communities or groups. If you are willing to share your experiences or perspectives, please contact me.
““We are being blocked at every turn, by governments and even by populists and nationalist groups. Our staff have received threats, and we’re harassed online all the time. Every time we try to help these desperate people we’re blocked. What can we do but keep trying?” ”