Learn more about architectures of accommodation, before continuing with this task.
Across Europe, the accommodation of refugees is organized differently. It varies from country to country, from (federal) state to (federal) state, and often even from municipality to municipality. Such differences may concern, for example, the quality as well as the duration of the accommodation. While some groups in some places may be excluded from entering shelters, others are obliged to reside there for the duration of their asylum procedure, for instance, and are not allowed to live in private housing. Considering these differences, what do you know about the conditions in your municipality?
Complete one or more of the following tasks to find out more. If you are a group, you can divide the tasks and complement each other.
1) Find out more about the legal context: What is the legal framework regarding the accommodation of refugees and asylum seekers in your area? Which status groups have the right of access to accommodation? Which groups have the right to look for housing on the open housing market? And which groups are obliged to remain in accommodation or even in a detention centre? How is the accommodation connected to the asylum process?
Try to gather the information by researching legal sources and/or public information. Create a table, a flow chart, or another kind of overview to visualize your results.
2) Understand the institutional context: How is the accommodation of refugees organized? Which actors are involved, how are responsibilities divided and how do they cooperate? You may consider state actors(for example, municipal and national authorities, police or border patrol agencies) as well as non-state actors such as NGOs or private enterprises.
Research this information by reading legal documents or public information and visiting websites of involved state actors and NGOs. Visualize your results by creating a graphic/schematic overview of the different actors, their connections, and roles. Present it on a poster or digitally.
3) Map the landscape of accommodation: What do you know about local shelters? Where are they? Can you locate them on a map? Are they located in central or in peripheral areas?
Create a map of your region and mark the known shelters. Start with locations you already know and which are ‘common knowledge'. Then add information from public sources. If these are not available, you may need to ‘ask around’. If it is difficult to obtain the information, document your research process and existing barriers. Be aware that, depending on the political climate, the location of shelters may be a piece of vulnerable information that should not be presented to a broad public.
4) Explore the environment of a specific shelter: Where are shelters located? What is their environment? Are they situated in a remote or accessible area? How can you get there from the city centre? How long does it take to get there? Is it an industrial or residential area? What is the material quality of the shelter? Are there any neighbours? What do they think of the shelter?
Visit the location of one of the shelters you identified. Take notes and write a field report.
5) Analyze Protests: The establishment of refugee accommodations is often accompanied by local protests. Especially at the height of the refugee influx in 2015, they have often triggered NIMBY (not in my backyard) reactions in the neighbourhood: The loss of value of one's own property, concerns about the safety of the neighbourhood, but also criticism of too large accommodations and their potentially negative effects on the integration of the newcomers are voiced.
Undertake a media analysis. Select a local newspaper, preferably with an online archive. Set a search period and use keywords to search for refugee housing. Code the collected articles: which arguments can be found against or also for the accommodation? What kind of stories are told about the neighbourhood? Who speaks? Who receives the blame and who or what is identified to fix it?
6) Summarize and discuss: Write a small summary (one to two pages) of your findings. Conclude (0.5 to1 page) by discussing the overall state of refugee accommodation in your municipality. Answer the following questions: What is the quality of the local accommodation structure? What is its main function? Should it be improved or changed in any way? If yes, how and why?
If you worked in a group, present and discuss your answers.