Maria Pisani
University of Malta, Department of Youth and Community Studies, Faculty Member
- Critical Pedagogy, Adult Education, Gender and Development, Forced Migration, Migration, Multiculturalism, Acculturation, Diasporas, Children in State Care, Youth Justice, Gender and Violence, Irregular Migration, and 6 moreGender and Migration, Migration and undocumented migrants, Politics and Post-Colonial Theory, Youth Studies, Critical Youth Studies, and Post-Colonialismedit
The growing diversity of learners in Maltese schools presents new challenges to policy-makers and practitioners. Schools and teachers often find themselves at odds when trying to respond to the increasingly diverse needs of the student... more
The growing diversity of learners in Maltese schools presents new challenges to policy-makers and practitioners. Schools and teachers often find themselves at odds when trying to respond to the increasingly diverse needs of the student population within schools. Over the past decade Malta made the shift from a country of emigration to a country of immigration. This trend is represented in Maltese schools, as the student population becomes increasingly heterogeneous. While this new reality is more pronounced in certain areas, all colleges have a representation of non-Maltese students, with Maria Regina College having the highest representation with a total of 1,134 students (819 at primary level, 95 in middle school and 220 in secondary school) and Saint Nicholas College having the lowest number, with a total population of eighty one migrant students (fifty-nine in the primary, eleven in middle school and eleven in the secondary school).peer-reviewe
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This paper begins by recounting a tale of two Sophias: a humanoid robot and an ‘illegal’ baby immigrant. The tale of two Sophias locates my initial ideas for reflecting on how critical posthumanism might contribute to youth work theory... more
This paper begins by recounting a tale of two Sophias: a humanoid robot and an ‘illegal’ baby immigrant. The tale of two Sophias locates my initial ideas for reflecting on how critical posthumanism might contribute to youth work theory and practice. In this paper I position youth work as a philosophical encounter, whilst also questioning the humanist legacy that lies at the heart of youth work theory. Drawing on the work of Rosi Braidotti and other critical posthuman feminists, I consider how youth work might respond to the posthuman predicament marked by the intersecting forces of advanced capitalism and growing inequalities, the fourth industrial revolution, the digital divide, and advances in Artificial Intelligence, climate change, and environmental destruction. I conclude by providing some reflections on how critical posthuman theory may provide a lens through which young people might consider what it means to be human in the technologically mediated Anthropocene, and also as a...
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This paper begins by recounting a tale of two Sophias: a humanoid robot and an ‘illegal’ baby immigrant. The tale of two Sophias locates my initial ideas for reflecting on how critical posthumanism might contribute to youth work theory... more
This paper begins by recounting a tale of two Sophias: a humanoid robot and an ‘illegal’ baby immigrant. The tale of two Sophias locates my initial ideas for reflecting on how critical posthumanism might contribute to youth work theory and practice. In this paper I position youth work as a philosophical encounter, whilst also questioning the humanist legacy that lies at the heart of youth work theory. Drawing on the work of Rosi Braidotti and other critical posthuman feminists, I consider how youth work might respond to the posthuman predicament marked by the intersecting forces of advanced capitalism and growing inequalities, the fourth industrial revolution, the digital divide, and advances in Artificial Intelligence, climate change, and environmental destruction. I conclude by providing some reflections on how critical posthuman theory may provide a lens through which young people might consider what it means to be human in the technologically mediated Anthropocene, and also as a paradigm for embracing new possibilities and a praxis of hope.
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Research conducted elsewhere indicates that the majority of sex workers operating in Western Europe are migrants. Over the past decade Malta has witnessed a significant increase in immigration from around the world, but to date, no... more
Research conducted elsewhere indicates that the majority of sex workers operating in Western Europe are migrants. Over the past decade Malta has witnessed a significant increase in immigration from around the world,
but to date, no research has been conducted in relation to migration and sex work in Malta. This article is limited in scope. Drawing on the work of critical intersectional and post-structural feminists, it seeks to explore how a situated analysis, that is attentive to different vectors of power, might provide valuable insights into how the racialization and illegalization of asylum seekers intersects with sex work, and how this might impact the lived experiences of sex workers in Malta
but to date, no research has been conducted in relation to migration and sex work in Malta. This article is limited in scope. Drawing on the work of critical intersectional and post-structural feminists, it seeks to explore how a situated analysis, that is attentive to different vectors of power, might provide valuable insights into how the racialization and illegalization of asylum seekers intersects with sex work, and how this might impact the lived experiences of sex workers in Malta
Research Interests: Gender Studies, Feminist Theory, Refugee Studies, Race and Racism, Migration, and 15 moreGender and Sexuality, Race and Ethnicity, Social Justice, Gender, Gender Equality, Sex Work, Sex Industry and Workers, Intersectionality and Social Inequality, Intersectionality, Feminism and Social Justice, Citizenship, Prostitution, Refugees and Forced Migration Studies, Sex Work/sex Workers Rights, and Intersectional Feminism
Much has been written and documented on forced migration and the movements of people within and across national borders. People have always been forced to move, they always will, perhaps now more than ever. In light of environmental... more
Much has been written and documented on forced migration and the movements of people within and across national borders. People have always been forced to move, they always will, perhaps now more than ever. In light of environmental disasters, wars and conflict, food shortages, economic crises and environmental degradation among others, issues concerning forced migration are increasingly covered in the media, though often partially and rarely acknowledging the geopolitical and historical. The migration–development nexus has also been acknowledged and over the past years we have seen reasonable attention with the development literature infused within broader subjects of poverty reduction and humanitarian intervention (see for example Van Hear and Nyberg Sorensen, 2003; Faist et al., 2011). However, within the research and literature on forced migration, one is continuously struck by the persistent absence of disabled people in its content (see for example O’Reilly, 2012) as well as t...
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This paper will draw attention to the way by which social relations structure knowledge to privilege particular ways of knowing and silences and subjugates others, namely that of asylum seekers. It is intended to illustrate how such... more
This paper will draw attention to the way by which social relations structure knowledge to privilege particular ways of knowing and silences and subjugates others, namely that of asylum seekers. It is intended to illustrate how such epistemic violence, to echo Spivak, can result in surgical interventions that violate the rights, and dignity, of female asylum seekers, and reproduce the docile body.
Research Interests: Anthropology, Communication, Adult Education, Critical Geopolitics, Critical Pedagogy, and 15 moreConflict, Class, Colonialism, Culture, Diplomacy, Citizenship, Colonial Discourse, Conflict and security, Critical Development Studies, Displacement, Borders and Borderlands, Climate Politics, Collaborative Action Research Methodologies, Colonialism and Imperialism, and Belonging and Citizenship
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ABSTRACT
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The degree to which an individual can or cannot confront domination is determined by his or her place within the social relations of production, the hegemony of ideological beliefs, including patriarchy and other cultural constructions,... more
The degree to which an individual can or cannot confront domination is determined by his or her place within the social relations of production, the hegemony of ideological beliefs, including patriarchy and other cultural constructions, and institutional rules, regulations, and practices. These interactions are also shaped by the ways in which members of specific social groups understand, perceive, and act in, through, and on, their reality. This article considers the Maltese context, and the case of sub-Saharan African (SSA) female asylum seekers whose request for asylum has been rejected. The article aims to provoke a critical re-evaluation of the adult education and critical pedagogy literature, and calls for an epistemological shift in the way we theorise the non-citizen within the nation state. The article argues that the ‘rejected’ status limits the possibilities to speak unto power and to mobilise for transformative change. It concludes that a ‘statist’ hegemony is ubiquitous...
Research Interests: Anthropology, Communication, Adult Education, Critical Pedagogy, Community Development, and 15 moreCommunity Based Education, Culture, Education for Citizenship, Forced Migration, Equity and Social Justice in Higher Education, Ethnicity, Citizenship, Curriculum Theory and Development, Education Systems, Displacement, Borders and Borderlands, Democracy and Citizenship Education, Community participation and engagement, Collaborative Action Research Methodologies, and Critical Education and Student Affairs Issues In Higher Education
Data includes an overview of demographic details of research participants, including the sites and dates of interviews. For ethical reasons, interview transcripts and visual data are excluded from this data set.
Whilst EU legislation and policy has focused on the importance of the asylum process, and the need for asylum seekers to understand the process, academic literature has, to date, failed to recognize this procedure as a learning process.... more
Whilst EU legislation and policy has focused on the importance of the asylum process, and the need for asylum seekers to understand the process, academic literature has, to date, failed to recognize this procedure as a learning process. In this paper I interrogate the asylum process as a contested site representing different gendered and racialised practices, grounded in specific gendered and historical sociopolitical contexts. Moving beyond the ‘banking’ notion of education, the asylum process is positioned as a potentially transformative pedagogical site wherein the lawyer as educator can engage in a dialogical relationship with the asylum seeker. I posit that the proposed educational journey, which is grounded in dialogue, mutual learning, and developing trust, can provide the possibility for developing self determination, working towards protection and social justice. This paper explores asylum in Malta, more specifically, the conditions and processes experienced by subSaharan A...
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This paper will draw attention to the way by which social relations structure knowledge to privilege particular ways of knowing and silences and subjugates others, namely that of asylum seekers. It is intended to illustrate how such... more
This paper will draw attention to the way by which social relations structure knowledge to privilege particular ways of knowing and silences and subjugates others, namely that of asylum seekers. It is intended to illustrate how such epistemic violence, to echo Spivak, can result in surgical interventions that violate the rights, and dignity, of female asylum seekers, and reproduce the docile body.
Research Interests: Anthropology, Communication, Adult Education, Critical Geopolitics, Critical Pedagogy, and 15 moreConflict, Class, Colonialism, Culture, Diplomacy, Citizenship, Colonial Discourse, Conflict and security, Critical Development Studies, Displacement, Borders and Borderlands, Climate Politics, Collaborative Action Research Methodologies, Colonialism and Imperialism, and Belonging and Citizenship
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This Youth Knowledge book presents theoretical references and reflections on the experiences of young refugees and the way they reconcile personal hope with the tensions within their host societies. It also explores learning from... more
This Youth Knowledge book presents theoretical references and reflections on the experiences of young refugees and the way they reconcile personal hope with the tensions within their host societies. It also explores learning from practices and their theoretical underpinnings concerning the role of youth work in a cross-sectoral approach. This book aims to be a reference for policy makers, practitioners and researchers in the youth field and stakeholders from other sectors working on inclusion, access to rights and the participation of young refugees.
All the contributors propose a very critical engagement with the reality of young refugees in today’s Europe, where tolerance levels for negative phenomena, such as human rights violations, hate speech and discrimination, are on the rise. However, there is also an underlying message of hope for those willing to engage in a human rights-based youth work practice that ensures safe spaces for being young, no matter who, no matter where. Practices and reflections deal with democracy, activism, participation, formal and non-formal education and learning, employment, trauma, “waitinghood” and negotiating identities.
We hope this book as a whole, and each individual contribution, will inspire youth policy makers and practitioners to take on board the complex realities of unfinished transitions and borderland experiences and create a positive environment for an enriched and transformed youth work for the inclusion of young refugees in their host communities.
All the contributors propose a very critical engagement with the reality of young refugees in today’s Europe, where tolerance levels for negative phenomena, such as human rights violations, hate speech and discrimination, are on the rise. However, there is also an underlying message of hope for those willing to engage in a human rights-based youth work practice that ensures safe spaces for being young, no matter who, no matter where. Practices and reflections deal with democracy, activism, participation, formal and non-formal education and learning, employment, trauma, “waitinghood” and negotiating identities.
We hope this book as a whole, and each individual contribution, will inspire youth policy makers and practitioners to take on board the complex realities of unfinished transitions and borderland experiences and create a positive environment for an enriched and transformed youth work for the inclusion of young refugees in their host communities.
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In this article, we seek to challenge some of the ways in which the ‘2015 Mediterranean migration crisis’ has been scripted by elites. Situated within – and contributing to – a flourishing research agenda on everyday geographies and... more
In this article, we seek to challenge some of the ways in which the
‘2015 Mediterranean migration crisis’ has been scripted by elites.
Situated within – and contributing to – a flourishing research agenda
on everyday geographies and ontologies of personal (in)security, we
aim to bring non-elite knowledge and experience to the foreground.
We do so by examining the diverse grounded perspectives of those
on the move who are arguably the key dramatis personae in the socalled
‘crisis’ and yet whose voices are often absent in dominant
representations of it. Specifically, we focus on the dynamic interplay
between contemporary European Union border security apparatuses
and mobile subjects who encounter, negotiate and challenge these
apparatuses. Drawing upon 37 in-depth qualitative interviews with
recent arrivals as part of a multi-sited research project across the
Mediterranean region, we offer a historicized and geographically
situated analysis of the contested politics of ‘irregularity’ on the island
of Malta. As a geopolitically significant site along the central
Mediterranean route, the changes in migratory dynamics witnessed
in Malta over the past two decades offer an instructive lens through
which the ‘crisis’ narrative can be usefully problematized and
disaggregated.
‘2015 Mediterranean migration crisis’ has been scripted by elites.
Situated within – and contributing to – a flourishing research agenda
on everyday geographies and ontologies of personal (in)security, we
aim to bring non-elite knowledge and experience to the foreground.
We do so by examining the diverse grounded perspectives of those
on the move who are arguably the key dramatis personae in the socalled
‘crisis’ and yet whose voices are often absent in dominant
representations of it. Specifically, we focus on the dynamic interplay
between contemporary European Union border security apparatuses
and mobile subjects who encounter, negotiate and challenge these
apparatuses. Drawing upon 37 in-depth qualitative interviews with
recent arrivals as part of a multi-sited research project across the
Mediterranean region, we offer a historicized and geographically
situated analysis of the contested politics of ‘irregularity’ on the island
of Malta. As a geopolitically significant site along the central
Mediterranean route, the changes in migratory dynamics witnessed
in Malta over the past two decades offer an instructive lens through
which the ‘crisis’ narrative can be usefully problematized and
disaggregated.
Research Interests:
The growing diversity of learners in Maltese schools presents new challenges to policy-makers and practitioners. Schools and teachers often find themselves at odds when trying to respond to the increasingly diverse needs of the student... more
The growing diversity of learners in Maltese schools presents new challenges to policy-makers and practitioners. Schools and teachers often find themselves at odds when trying to respond to the increasingly diverse needs of the student population within schools. Over the past decade Malta made the shift from a country of emigration to a country of immigration. This trend is represented in Maltese schools, as the student population becomes increasingly heterogeneous...Schools are places where the fear of the stranger and the anxiety that results from it can be deflated. The school can be a place where the “other” can be deciphered and understood; it is a place where, living, sharing, collaborative productivity and realisation of potential can also be learnt. This would allow school communities to go beyond tolerance (to tolerate the existence of opinions or behaviour) and to accept and recognize the richness of the “strange” and the “different,” and establish a genuine understanding of the “other” through the use of reason. Such environments nurture empathy6 - by nurturing compassion and feeling for the sufferings of others. The “other” comes to be seen as an object of love and mercy, of care and hospitality.
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In this paper I will be focusing on young people who have been forced to flee their homes, specifically those fleeing sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, who have made their way to the European Union. The paper is... more
In this paper I will be focusing on young people who have been forced to flee their homes, specifically those fleeing sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, who have made their way to the European Union. The paper is divided
into two sections. In the first section I provide an overview of the forced migration trends crossing the Mediterranean. My analysis will contest the neo-liberal liberal agenda and the immigration policies of “Fortress Europe” that extend well beyond the blue (sea) border: political processes and practices that structure realities at a global, regional and local level. I then look at the case of young asylum-seekers who have arrived in Malta, and secondary containment within the EU. I describe human rights violations, poverty and social marginalisation, and I expose processes of democratic exclusion: the day-to-day realities experienced by illegalised young bodies positioned discursively and de facto outside the law. In the second section I illustrate how a “statist” hegemony is ubiquitous within youth research. I illustrate how the “citizenship assumption” within youth studies has failed to interrogate the “nation state” as a unit of anlaysis. I conclude by arguing that the prevalent, uncritical stance towards notions of the nation state and democracy is fundamentally problematic, inherently exclusionary, and out of touch with a global reality lived out by millions of young people: young bodies positioned as “illegal” wherein the “right to rights” cannot be assumed (Arendt 1968).
into two sections. In the first section I provide an overview of the forced migration trends crossing the Mediterranean. My analysis will contest the neo-liberal liberal agenda and the immigration policies of “Fortress Europe” that extend well beyond the blue (sea) border: political processes and practices that structure realities at a global, regional and local level. I then look at the case of young asylum-seekers who have arrived in Malta, and secondary containment within the EU. I describe human rights violations, poverty and social marginalisation, and I expose processes of democratic exclusion: the day-to-day realities experienced by illegalised young bodies positioned discursively and de facto outside the law. In the second section I illustrate how a “statist” hegemony is ubiquitous within youth research. I illustrate how the “citizenship assumption” within youth studies has failed to interrogate the “nation state” as a unit of anlaysis. I conclude by arguing that the prevalent, uncritical stance towards notions of the nation state and democracy is fundamentally problematic, inherently exclusionary, and out of touch with a global reality lived out by millions of young people: young bodies positioned as “illegal” wherein the “right to rights” cannot be assumed (Arendt 1968).
Research Interests:
The vast majority of the world’s displaced people are hosted in the global South, in the poorest countries in the world. This is also a space with the highest numbers of disabled people, many of who live in extreme and chronic poverty.... more
The vast majority of the world’s displaced people are hosted in the global South, in
the poorest countries in the world. This is also a space with the highest numbers of
disabled people, many of who live in extreme and chronic poverty. This poverty,
alongside deprivation, wars, conflict, and environmental disasters is what drives
people to flee, in search of security. This includes disabled people. In spite of this, this
population (disabled forced migrants) continues to be cast in a shadow, of
epistemological, ontological and practical invisibility. It is hardly theorised in forced
migration studies and rarely contemplated in humanitarian intervention. The lives of
disabled forced migrants are cast aside in a Eurocentric disability studies that remains
global North-centric and focused, while Southern contexts and histories and the
geopolitics that envelope them, are forgotten or never known. Migration theory grows
without the disabled person, disability studies without the migrant, and practice
without the disabled migrant. In this paper, we explore the disability/forced migration
nexus with a view to understanding some of the critical intersectionalities that
emerge, and their implications for theory and practice. We trace elements of the
forced migration trajectory, from exodus, to crossing international borders, to life in
protracted refugee camps, the use of networks and smugglers, to those related to
national and human security. We argue that forced migration studies, as well as
humanitarian practice continue to be premised on and adopting an ableist approach
focused on heteronormative productive bodies, while disability studies, with a corpus
of work premised on an assumption of citizenship, has failed to critically engage with
issues of sovereignty, borders and bodies that lie beyond the protection of the Nation
State. In this paper, we also question and contest dominant and hegemonic frames that
are historically contextualized, alongside discourses and structures that not only
produce forced migration, but also serve to perpetuate the global divide and
inequalities. We conclude by calling for a critical interrogation of theoretical
perspectives in both forced migration and disability studies, in policy and
humanitarian action, and to work towards a praxis geared towards social justice for
disabled forced migrants.
the poorest countries in the world. This is also a space with the highest numbers of
disabled people, many of who live in extreme and chronic poverty. This poverty,
alongside deprivation, wars, conflict, and environmental disasters is what drives
people to flee, in search of security. This includes disabled people. In spite of this, this
population (disabled forced migrants) continues to be cast in a shadow, of
epistemological, ontological and practical invisibility. It is hardly theorised in forced
migration studies and rarely contemplated in humanitarian intervention. The lives of
disabled forced migrants are cast aside in a Eurocentric disability studies that remains
global North-centric and focused, while Southern contexts and histories and the
geopolitics that envelope them, are forgotten or never known. Migration theory grows
without the disabled person, disability studies without the migrant, and practice
without the disabled migrant. In this paper, we explore the disability/forced migration
nexus with a view to understanding some of the critical intersectionalities that
emerge, and their implications for theory and practice. We trace elements of the
forced migration trajectory, from exodus, to crossing international borders, to life in
protracted refugee camps, the use of networks and smugglers, to those related to
national and human security. We argue that forced migration studies, as well as
humanitarian practice continue to be premised on and adopting an ableist approach
focused on heteronormative productive bodies, while disability studies, with a corpus
of work premised on an assumption of citizenship, has failed to critically engage with
issues of sovereignty, borders and bodies that lie beyond the protection of the Nation
State. In this paper, we also question and contest dominant and hegemonic frames that
are historically contextualized, alongside discourses and structures that not only
produce forced migration, but also serve to perpetuate the global divide and
inequalities. We conclude by calling for a critical interrogation of theoretical
perspectives in both forced migration and disability studies, in policy and
humanitarian action, and to work towards a praxis geared towards social justice for
disabled forced migrants.
Research Interests:
This paper will draw attention to the way by which social relations structure knowledge to privilege particular ways of knowing and silences and subjugates others, namely that of asylum seekers. It is intended to illustrate how such... more
This paper will draw attention to the way by which social relations structure knowledge to privilege particular ways of knowing and silences and subjugates others, namely that of asylum seekers. It is intended to illustrate how such epistemic violence, to echo Spivak, can result in surgical interventions that violate the rights, and dignity, of female asylum seekers, and reproduce the docile body.
Research Interests: Religion, Sociology, Social Change, Gender Studies, Anthropology, and 98 moreInternational Relations, Philosophy, Communication, Multiculturalism, Sex and Gender, Popular Education, Feminist Theory, Theology, Globalization, Adult Education, Teacher Education, Critical Geopolitics, Lifelong Learning, International Law, Human Rights, Postcolonial Studies, Political Ecology, International organizations, Critical Pedagogy, International Criminal Law, Conflict, Security, Migration, Gender and Sexuality, Class, Race and Ethnicity, Immigration Law, Social Justice, Nationalism, Human Trafficking, Human Resource Management, Colonialism, South Asian History, Gender, Culture, Oral Traditions, Post-Colonialism, Diplomacy, Subalternity, Subaltern Agency, Postcolonial Feminism, Latin American literature, Social Justice in Education, Media, Postcolonial Theory, Forced Migration, Migration Studies, Latin American History, Islam, South Asian Literature, Environmental Justice, Social Inclusion, Ethnicity, Intersectionality and Social Inequality, Women and Work, Subaltern Studies, Empire, Minority Rights, Intercultural dialogue, Intersectionality, International Labour Law, Refugees, Citizenship, Identity, Peace, Colonial Discourse, Race, Minorities, Imperialism, Reflective Teaching, Language politics, Conflict and security, State, Feminist Political Theory, Critical Development Studies, Freedom, Qualitative Methodologies, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), Displacement, Borders and Borderlands, State sovereignty, Post Colonial Theory, Post Conflict Development, Climate Politics, English As a Second Language (ESL), Refugee memory, Global (North/South) Environmental Politics, Life Histories Methodology, Employment Equity Policies, Governance and Democracy, Practice Based Approaches to the Study of Knowing, Learning and Change In Organisations, Higher Education Feminist Studies of Science and Technology, Collaborative Action Research Methodologies, Colonialism and Imperialism, Nationalism and Decolonization, Belonging and Citizenship, Ethnicity and Nationality, and Nation building and State making
Research Interests:
The degree to which an individual can or cannot confront domination is determined by his or her place within the social relations of production, the hegemony of ideological beliefs, including patriarchy and other cultural constructions,... more
The degree to which an individual can or cannot confront domination is determined by his or her place within the social relations of production, the hegemony of ideological beliefs, including patriarchy and other cultural constructions, and institutional rules, regulations, and practices. These interactions are also shaped by the ways in which members of specific social groups understand, perceive, and act in, through, and on, their reality. This article considers the Maltese context, and the case of sub-Saharan African (SSA) female asylum seekers whose request for asylum has been rejected. The article aims to provoke a critical re-evaluation of the adult education and critical pedagogy literature, and calls for an epistemological shift in the way we theorise the non-citizen within the nation state. The article argues that the ‘rejected’ status limits the possibilities to speak unto power and to mobilise for transformative change. It concludes that a ‘statist’ hegemony is ubiquitous within critical pedagogy literature, wherein ‘citizenship’ is assumed.
Research Interests: Religion, Sociology, Social Change, Anthropology, Philosophy, and 51 moreCommunication, Multiculturalism, Popular Education, Theology, Globalization, Adult Education, Lifelong Learning, Critical Pedagogy, Community Development, Community Based Education, Migration, Global Citizenship, Social Justice, Gender, Culture, Oral Traditions, Education for Citizenship, Social Justice in Education, Media, Forced Migration, Migration Studies, Islam, Sociology of Migration, Vocational Education, Diversity & Inclusion, Equity and Social Justice in Higher Education, Inclusive Education, Social Inclusion, Ethnicity, Intercultural dialogue, Refugees, Citizenship, Identity, Vocational Training, Minorities, Language politics, State, Curriculum Theory and Development, Displacement, Borders and Borderlands, Democracy and Citizenship Education, Community participation and engagement, Refugee memory, Immigration Status & Nationality, Practice Based Approaches to the Study of Knowing, Learning and Change In Organisations, Higher Education Feminist Studies of Science and Technology, Collaborative Action Research Methodologies, Teaching and Learning In Adult and Higher Education, Social Justice Issues In Adult and Higher Education, and Critical Education and Student Affairs Issues In Higher Education
The Stockholm Programme remains silent on the rights of irregular migrants who cannot return to their country of origin. In this paper I consider the case of rejected sub-Saharan African female asylum seekers living in Malta and highlight... more
The Stockholm Programme remains silent on the rights of irregular migrants who cannot return to their country of origin. In this paper I consider the case of rejected sub-Saharan African female asylum seekers living in Malta and highlight how the intersectionality of inter alia gender, race and legal status leads to isolation and poverty.
Research Interests: Religion, Sociology, Gender Studies, Anthropology, International Relations, and 50 morePhilosophy, Communication, Multiculturalism, Theology, International Law, Human Rights, Mental Health, Postcolonial Studies, International organizations, Community Development, Conflict, Security, Migration, Nationalism, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Gender, Culture, Oral Traditions, Organisational Development, Poverty Reduction Strategies, Diplomacy, Human Security, Media, Forced Migration, Migration Studies, Islam, Citizenship and Identity, Citizenship And Governance, International Economic Relations, Diversity & Inclusion, Asylum seekers, Ethnicity, Minority Rights, Intercultural dialogue, Refugees, Citizenship, Identity, Peace, Minorities, Language politics, State, Freedom, Supervision, Refugees and Forced Migration Studies, Displacement, Borders and Borderlands, Refugee memory, Immigration Status & Nationality, Governance and State Capacity, and Social Model of Health
Presentation delivered at session on Migration & Resilience, Commonwealth Peoples Forum, Malta.
Research Interests:
Paper presented, Universite d’Aix-Marseille, 24 february 2014
UNHCR Annual Consultations with NGOs. 17 June 2014, Geneva
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Paper presented at Tallinn University Pedagogical College, May 12, 2014
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Research Interests:
Research Interests: Sociology, Anthropology, Philosophy, Communication, Multiculturalism, and 24 moreSociology of Education, Theology, Adult Education, Lifelong Learning, Critical Pedagogy, Migration, Global Citizenship, Poverty Reduction Strategies, Human Security, Media, Forced Migration, Migration Studies, Islam, Sociology of Migration, International Economic Relations, Diversity & Inclusion, Inclusive Education, Intercultural dialogue, Citizenship, Identity, Democracy and Citizenship Education, Citizenship identities, Immigration Status & Nationality, and Governance and State Capacity
Research Interests:
On behalf of aditus foundation, Integra Foundation and JRS Malta I would like to share with you our most recent publication: ‘On Being Moved: Refugee Perceptions of Being Relocated to Malta’. The report gathers the experiences of a group... more
On behalf of aditus foundation, Integra Foundation and JRS Malta I would like to share with you our most recent publication: ‘On Being Moved: Refugee Perceptions of Being Relocated to Malta’. The report gathers the experiences of a group of asylum-seekers relocated to Malta from Greece and Italy, providing a thematic analysis that explores their perceptions of the relevant institutions, structures and procedures.
"Whilst we appreciate that the relocation exercise was an attempt to instil a measure of solidarity in the Common European Asylum System, we feel that a review of its operations and impact needs to be undertaken so as to ensure that future similar exercise are truly expressive of this solidarity and respect for the fundamental rights of refugees. This report seeks to contribute to this potential assessment by gathering and presenting a sample of the beneficiaries’ views. We believe that the beneficiaries’ perspective of the impact of the relocation programme on their lives is a fundamental component of a comprehensive assessment of this programme and hope that this report, in conjunction and juxtaposition with the analyses of other entities and stakeholders involved in the relocation process, can serve to inform a national and EU-wide discussion on responsibility-sharing, with a view to ensuring a discussion and result that are rights-based, humane and effective.”
The report was presented and discussed with representatives of: Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security, Office of the Refugee Commissioner, Agency for the Welfare of Asylum-Seekers, European Commission Representation in Malta, UNHCR, IOM, EASO. We sincerely thank them for the fruitful discussion on the way ahead.
"Whilst we appreciate that the relocation exercise was an attempt to instil a measure of solidarity in the Common European Asylum System, we feel that a review of its operations and impact needs to be undertaken so as to ensure that future similar exercise are truly expressive of this solidarity and respect for the fundamental rights of refugees. This report seeks to contribute to this potential assessment by gathering and presenting a sample of the beneficiaries’ views. We believe that the beneficiaries’ perspective of the impact of the relocation programme on their lives is a fundamental component of a comprehensive assessment of this programme and hope that this report, in conjunction and juxtaposition with the analyses of other entities and stakeholders involved in the relocation process, can serve to inform a national and EU-wide discussion on responsibility-sharing, with a view to ensuring a discussion and result that are rights-based, humane and effective.”
The report was presented and discussed with representatives of: Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security, Office of the Refugee Commissioner, Agency for the Welfare of Asylum-Seekers, European Commission Representation in Malta, UNHCR, IOM, EASO. We sincerely thank them for the fruitful discussion on the way ahead.
Research Interests:
Migrant deaths en route to the European Union are by no means new. Yet the level and intensity of recent tragedies is unprecedented: More than 5000 deaths were recorded in 2016, demanding swift action on the part of EU Member States. Dr... more
Migrant deaths en route to the European Union are by no means new. Yet the level and intensity of recent tragedies is unprecedented: More than 5000 deaths were recorded in 2016, demanding swift action on the part of EU Member States.
Dr Vicki Squire (PaIS, Warwick), together with an international and multidisciplinary team of Co-Investigators including Dr Dallal Stevens (Warwick Law School), Professor Nick Vaughan-Williams (PAIS, Warwick), Dr Angeliki Dimitriadi (ELIAMEP, Athens), and Dr Maria Pisani (Malta), have been awarded an ESRC Urgency Grant (150K) for the project entitled 'Crossing the Mediterranean Sea by boat: Mapping and documenting migratory journeys and experiences'.
The project produces a timely and robust evidence base as grounds for informing policy interventions developed under emergency conditions across the Mediterranean. It does so by assessing the impact of such interventions on those that they affect most directly: migrants or refugees themselves. The project undertakes such an assessment by engaging the journeys and experiences of people migrating, asking:
What are the impacts of policy interventions on migratory journeys and experiences across the Mediterranean?
How do refugees and migrants negotiate complex and entwined migratory and regulatory dynamics?
In what ways can a European policy agenda be re-shaped to address concerns such as migrant deaths at sea more effectively?
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/research/researchcentres/irs/crossingthemed/
Dr Vicki Squire (PaIS, Warwick), together with an international and multidisciplinary team of Co-Investigators including Dr Dallal Stevens (Warwick Law School), Professor Nick Vaughan-Williams (PAIS, Warwick), Dr Angeliki Dimitriadi (ELIAMEP, Athens), and Dr Maria Pisani (Malta), have been awarded an ESRC Urgency Grant (150K) for the project entitled 'Crossing the Mediterranean Sea by boat: Mapping and documenting migratory journeys and experiences'.
The project produces a timely and robust evidence base as grounds for informing policy interventions developed under emergency conditions across the Mediterranean. It does so by assessing the impact of such interventions on those that they affect most directly: migrants or refugees themselves. The project undertakes such an assessment by engaging the journeys and experiences of people migrating, asking:
What are the impacts of policy interventions on migratory journeys and experiences across the Mediterranean?
How do refugees and migrants negotiate complex and entwined migratory and regulatory dynamics?
In what ways can a European policy agenda be re-shaped to address concerns such as migrant deaths at sea more effectively?
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/research/researchcentres/irs/crossingthemed/
Research Interests:
A joint publication of aditus foundation, Integra Foundation and JRS Malta as part of Project Integrated. Dari? presents data from around 80 visits conducted to refugee homes in 2015 and 2016. Project Integrated was supported by UNHCR and... more
A joint publication of aditus foundation, Integra Foundation and JRS Malta as part of Project Integrated. Dari? presents data from around 80 visits conducted to refugee homes in 2015 and 2016. Project Integrated was supported by UNHCR and the Malta Community Chest Fund.
Research Interests:
Migration in Malta – Country Profile 2015 seeks to provide an overview of the migration situation and trends in Malta. With an area of just over 316 km², Malta is the smallest EU Member State (MS) and one of the most densely populated... more
Migration in Malta – Country Profile 2015 seeks to provide an overview of the migration situation and trends in Malta.
With an area of just over 316 km², Malta is the smallest EU Member State (MS) and one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Malta’s geographical position in the centre of the Mediterranean and the legacy of 7,000 years of colonization, as well as of the times of strife and destitution are among the factors that have interacted to create the country’s unique and complex migration narrative.
Over the recent years, most prominently, following its EU membership, Malta has turned from a country of emigration to a country of immigration – a reality that presents both challenges and opportunities. For many EU nationals, and others coming from further afield, Malta is the chosen destination for employment, retirement, or studies, coupled with the Mediterranean climate and lifestyle. Furthermore, located at the EU’s external borders, just 1,000 km off the coast of Libya, for more than a decade Malta has been receiving refugees and migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and the Middle East. For them, Malta may represent a place of refuge, a new home, or only transit point in their journey, but not necessarily a destination of choice.
With an area of just over 316 km², Malta is the smallest EU Member State (MS) and one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Malta’s geographical position in the centre of the Mediterranean and the legacy of 7,000 years of colonization, as well as of the times of strife and destitution are among the factors that have interacted to create the country’s unique and complex migration narrative.
Over the recent years, most prominently, following its EU membership, Malta has turned from a country of emigration to a country of immigration – a reality that presents both challenges and opportunities. For many EU nationals, and others coming from further afield, Malta is the chosen destination for employment, retirement, or studies, coupled with the Mediterranean climate and lifestyle. Furthermore, located at the EU’s external borders, just 1,000 km off the coast of Libya, for more than a decade Malta has been receiving refugees and migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and the Middle East. For them, Malta may represent a place of refuge, a new home, or only transit point in their journey, but not necessarily a destination of choice.
Research Interests:
This report forms part of a project aimed to improve and develop the provision of SRH services for refugee women and their families residing in Malta. More specifically, the project sought to provide a holistic service that facilitates... more
This report forms part of a project aimed to improve and develop the provision of SRH services for refugee women and their families residing in Malta. More specifically, the project sought to provide a holistic service that facilitates communication and strengthens relationships between refugee women and Mater Dei Hospital (MDH) staff in Malta. Another objective was to explore and contribute to the learning needs of MDH staff with regard to the SRH needs of refugee women, as well as the SRH learning needs of refugee women.
Research Interests:
A collaboration between UNHCR and Integra Foundation, the publication reports on Community-based Participatory Action Research conducted with Refugees and other Persons of Concern in Malta. The overall aim of the Age Gender & Diversity... more
A collaboration between UNHCR and Integra Foundation, the publication reports on Community-based Participatory Action Research conducted with Refugees and other Persons of Concern in Malta. The overall aim of the Age Gender & Diversity project was to explore, understand, and outline specific protection needs of persons of concern, to review how these are currently being addressed by service providers, to identify existing gaps in this regard, and to explore how the relevant response and support capacities can be further enhanced. The participatory approach to this research aimed to involve both relevant stakeholders (management and practitioners) and beneficiaries of protection as co-researchers in a mutual learning process, engaging in dialogue and generating practical knowledge about issues and problems of concern to them, and creating the space and capacity to influence and determine change.The research adopted intersectionality as the key theoretical paradigm, recognizing the multifaceted experiences and needs of refugees. The research also reports on key concerns raised during the research process including power relationships, prioritizing the knowledge and experiences of refugees and persons of concern, and some of the challenges that emerge in attempts to engage in truly participatory research.
Research Interests: Youth Studies, Participatory Research, Participatory Action Research, Action Research, Disability Studies, and 9 moreCritical Disability Studies, Refugee Studies, Migration, Migration Studies, Sociology of Migration, Intersectionality, Nonformal Education, Refugees and Forced Migration Studies, and The Role of Community Participation in the Development of Nonformal Education Programmes
This report builds on previous reports and is fed by the ground experience of the authors and some 12 community leaders and NGO representatives who were consulted during the drawing up of the report. It seeks to highlight some of the key... more
This report builds on previous reports and is fed by the ground experience of the authors and some 12 community leaders and NGO representatives who were consulted during the drawing up of the report. It seeks to highlight some of the key concerns that have been discussed in previous years through a slightly different approach, using quotes and discussions points from these conversations as the starting point. The report covers the period between March 2011 and March 2012. It supplements previous Shadow Reports and other research by providing a civil society perspective on racial and religious discrimination in Malta over the reporting period. Section 4 discusses some of the more significant developments in Malta over the period under review whilst section 5 focuses on the Muslim community in Malta and their status within the Maltese context more broadly. Section 6 outlines some of the key manifestations of racism and racial discrimination in various spheres of life including: employment, education, housing, health, access to goods and services, political participation, the media and the criminal justice system. Section 7 summarizes the civil society critique of the status quo whilst Section 8 outlines some of the best practices being enacted in Malta by NGOs and other entities. Section 9 provides a number of actionable recommendations whilst section 10 concludes with a number of overarching points. The report provides a focus on the Muslim community in Malta, a community which is often ‘exchanged’ for other groups but rarely addressed in its own right.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Multiculturalism, Education, Critical Pedagogy, Post-Colonialism, Social Justice in Education, and 2 moreInclusive Education and Critical pedagogy and critical theory Qualitative research Ethnography, autoethnography Service-learning in teacher education and multicultural education Transnational issues affecting education for immigrant children
Research Interests: Race and Racism, Community Development, International Human Rights Law, Race and Ethnicity, Colonialism, and 9 morePost-Colonialism, Migration Studies, Diversity & Inclusion, International Refugee Law, Empire, Minority Rights, Imperialism, Equality and Non Discrimination, and The Rights of Persons With Disabilities
This Youth Knowledge book presents theoretical references and reflections on the experiences of young refugees and the way they reconcile personal hope with the tensions within their host societies. It also explores learning from... more
This Youth Knowledge book presents theoretical references and reflections on the experiences of young refugees and the way they reconcile personal hope with the tensions within their host societies. It also explores learning from practices and their theoretical underpinnings concerning the role of youth work in a cross-sectoral approach. This book aims to be a reference for policy makers, practitioners and researchers in the youth field and stakeholders from other sectors working on inclusion, access to rights and the participation of young refugees.
All the contributors propose a very critical engagement with the reality of young refugees in today’s Europe, where tolerance levels for negative phenomena, such as human rights violations, hate speech and discrimination, are on the rise. However, there is also an underlying message of hope for those willing to engage in a human rights-based youth work practice that ensures safe spaces for being young, no matter who, no matter where. Practices and reflections deal with democracy, activism, participation, formal and non-formal education and learning, employment, trauma, “waitinghood” and negotiating identities.
We hope this book as a whole, and each individual contribution, will inspire youth policy makers and practitioners to take on board the complex realities of unfinished transitions and borderland experiences and create a positive environment for an enriched and transformed youth work for the inclusion of young refugees in their host communities.
All the contributors propose a very critical engagement with the reality of young refugees in today’s Europe, where tolerance levels for negative phenomena, such as human rights violations, hate speech and discrimination, are on the rise. However, there is also an underlying message of hope for those willing to engage in a human rights-based youth work practice that ensures safe spaces for being young, no matter who, no matter where. Practices and reflections deal with democracy, activism, participation, formal and non-formal education and learning, employment, trauma, “waitinghood” and negotiating identities.
We hope this book as a whole, and each individual contribution, will inspire youth policy makers and practitioners to take on board the complex realities of unfinished transitions and borderland experiences and create a positive environment for an enriched and transformed youth work for the inclusion of young refugees in their host communities.
Research Interests: Youth Studies, Human Rights, Discrimination, Youth Work, Participation, and 12 moreHate Speech, Democracy, Diversity & Inclusion, Youth Studies (Youth Work), Trauma, Activism, Youth research, Identity Construction, Youth Policy, Social Exclusion and Inclusion, Youth and European Commission, and Young asylum seeking refugees, social justice, human rights
A practical toolbox for youth workers and recommendations for policymakers : results of the expert group set up under the European Union work plan for youth for 2016-2018. This practical guidance and toolbox are aimed at youth workers... more
A practical toolbox for youth workers and recommendations for policymakers : results of the expert group set up under the European Union work plan for youth for 2016-2018.
This practical guidance and toolbox are aimed at youth workers who deal with the integration process of young migrants. It provides tips, advice and guidance to youth workers and youth organisations, as extracted from best practice examples across Europe. Moreover, it advises how to draft a toolbox that aims to be practical within a specific geographical area (municipality, region, country) and with a specific dimension (according to the grid of this report).
This practical guidance and toolbox are aimed at youth workers who deal with the integration process of young migrants. It provides tips, advice and guidance to youth workers and youth organisations, as extracted from best practice examples across Europe. Moreover, it advises how to draft a toolbox that aims to be practical within a specific geographical area (municipality, region, country) and with a specific dimension (according to the grid of this report).
Research Interests:
search of protection, peace and security. Containment policies, the securitization of the external borders and the use of detention are just some of the mechanisms that have been established to deter people from exercising their right to... more
search of protection, peace and security. Containment policies, the securitization of the external borders and the use of detention are just some of the mechanisms that have been established to deter people from exercising their right to seek asylum in the European Union. Fuelled by the ongoing war in Syria, and conflict in Libya, the summer of 2015 witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of arrivals. Most of these arrivals are children and young people. In 2015 alone, an estimated 90,000 were unaccompanied minors and reports suggest that 10,000 of them are now ‘missing’. Unaccompanied minors irregularly residing in the European Union embody a toxic space, wherein forced migration meets the nation state – a tension that activates a process that renders bodies illegal. Against the backdrop of the increased securitization of migration, intensified external and internal border controls and the
‘crimmigration’ trend, this chapter looks at how ‘race’ intersects with age and legal status, producing poverty, social marginalization, crime and, perhaps more significantly, criminalisation. I argue that the prevalent uncritical stance towards notions of human rights (and particularly the rights of the child), the nation state and liberal democracy, is out of touch
with the lived realities experienced by a growing number of ‘illegal’ children and young people within the European Union. An interrogation of these core concepts is central in understanding crimes committed by – and the criminalisation of - undocumented migrant children and young
people and their contact with juvenile justice systems, and in informing advocacy strategies and service provision.
‘crimmigration’ trend, this chapter looks at how ‘race’ intersects with age and legal status, producing poverty, social marginalization, crime and, perhaps more significantly, criminalisation. I argue that the prevalent uncritical stance towards notions of human rights (and particularly the rights of the child), the nation state and liberal democracy, is out of touch
with the lived realities experienced by a growing number of ‘illegal’ children and young people within the European Union. An interrogation of these core concepts is central in understanding crimes committed by – and the criminalisation of - undocumented migrant children and young
people and their contact with juvenile justice systems, and in informing advocacy strategies and service provision.
Research Interests:
Chapter 27: In Chapter 27, Pisani explores further the challenges of youth work in the context of migration. She makes the case that young people move for a variety of reasons and regardless of these reasons have a right to protection, as... more
Chapter 27: In Chapter 27, Pisani explores further the challenges of youth work in the context of migration. She makes the case that young people move for a variety of reasons and regardless of these reasons have a right to protection, as enshrined in human rights law. Looking at contemporary migration in the context of neo-liberal globalisation
and global politics, Pisani identifies the challenge for youth workers in identifying and responding to the multifaceted issues that arise out of displacement. Arguing that the response to the refugee crisis has largely focused on preventing refugees and displaced migrants from reaching EU borders as well as a strategy of secondary containment, Pisani discusses refugees and migrants existing in limbo, denied their
human rights. With the absence of safe means to travel, dangerous smuggling networks have developed, exploiting vulnerable refugees. The majority of these refugees and migrants reaching the shores of the EU are young people fleeing civil war, political unrest and persecution. Supporting Scherr and Yüksel’s commentary of the risks associated with labelling refugees and migrants as different from the “ordinary”, Pisani argues that the politics of securitisation establishes an “us” and “them”
dichotomy, with refugees representing the “illegal” body and thereby rendered docile. Pisani argues for an epistemological shift, emphasising the need for power and agency on the part of migrant communities. The challenges for youth work include, among others: strengthening these processes at all levels; providing voluntary, safe spaces; supporting social inclusion; and providing bridging support where necessary.
In addition, youth workers must question their place in representing these young people and creating the conditions to engage on their terms...
and global politics, Pisani identifies the challenge for youth workers in identifying and responding to the multifaceted issues that arise out of displacement. Arguing that the response to the refugee crisis has largely focused on preventing refugees and displaced migrants from reaching EU borders as well as a strategy of secondary containment, Pisani discusses refugees and migrants existing in limbo, denied their
human rights. With the absence of safe means to travel, dangerous smuggling networks have developed, exploiting vulnerable refugees. The majority of these refugees and migrants reaching the shores of the EU are young people fleeing civil war, political unrest and persecution. Supporting Scherr and Yüksel’s commentary of the risks associated with labelling refugees and migrants as different from the “ordinary”, Pisani argues that the politics of securitisation establishes an “us” and “them”
dichotomy, with refugees representing the “illegal” body and thereby rendered docile. Pisani argues for an epistemological shift, emphasising the need for power and agency on the part of migrant communities. The challenges for youth work include, among others: strengthening these processes at all levels; providing voluntary, safe spaces; supporting social inclusion; and providing bridging support where necessary.
In addition, youth workers must question their place in representing these young people and creating the conditions to engage on their terms...
Research Interests:
Perspectives on Cultural Participation in Malta Following the publication of the Cultural Participation Survey 2016 report, Arts Council Malta commissioned and published a collection of essays from multiple critical perspectives drawing... more
Perspectives on Cultural Participation in Malta
Following the publication of the Cultural Participation Survey 2016 report, Arts Council Malta commissioned and published a collection of essays from multiple critical perspectives drawing upon the data entitled Perspectives on Cultural Participation in Malta.
TRANSGRESSING THE FORTRESS...CREATIVITY IN THE BORDERLANDS
75
Migration is no stranger to the Maltese narrative. Accession to the
European Union coincided with new possibilities for migration for
the Maltese, and the arrival of migrants from the European Union
and beyond. For many, migration has created opportunities for
adventure and new possibilities – for others it has served as an
escape route, in the search for safety and security. The attempts
to securitize the European Union and control the migrant ‘other’
have been violent, divisive and dehumanizing; the consequences
on human lives have been devastating. But this is only part of
the picture. The border also embodies a creative, exciting and
humanizing space that provides the possibilities for transformative
practice. In this short piece I position Malta and contemporary
migration patterns within a historical and geopolitical narrative,
and present some of the creative initiatives implemented by a team
of young people committed to working beyond the border...
Following the publication of the Cultural Participation Survey 2016 report, Arts Council Malta commissioned and published a collection of essays from multiple critical perspectives drawing upon the data entitled Perspectives on Cultural Participation in Malta.
TRANSGRESSING THE FORTRESS...CREATIVITY IN THE BORDERLANDS
75
Migration is no stranger to the Maltese narrative. Accession to the
European Union coincided with new possibilities for migration for
the Maltese, and the arrival of migrants from the European Union
and beyond. For many, migration has created opportunities for
adventure and new possibilities – for others it has served as an
escape route, in the search for safety and security. The attempts
to securitize the European Union and control the migrant ‘other’
have been violent, divisive and dehumanizing; the consequences
on human lives have been devastating. But this is only part of
the picture. The border also embodies a creative, exciting and
humanizing space that provides the possibilities for transformative
practice. In this short piece I position Malta and contemporary
migration patterns within a historical and geopolitical narrative,
and present some of the creative initiatives implemented by a team
of young people committed to working beyond the border...
Research Interests:
This is the final project report of the Crossing the Mediterranean Sea by Boat project. The report provides a unique, in-depth analysis of the impact of EU policies in addressing the so-called European migration or refugee ‘crisis’ in... more
This is the final project report of the Crossing the Mediterranean Sea by Boat project. The report provides a unique, in-depth analysis of the impact of EU policies in addressing the so-called European migration or refugee ‘crisis’ in 2015 and 2016, drawing on the findings from 257 in-depth qualitative interviews with a total of 271 participants across seven sites in two phases: Kos, Malta and Sicily from September-November 2015, and Athens, Berlin, Istanbul and Rome from May-July 2016.
Uniquely, the project report focuses directly on the impact of policies upon people on the move, drawing together policy analysis and observational fieldwork with in-depth analysis of qualitative interview data from people making – or contemplating making – the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea. As such, the report provides previously-unconsidered insights into the effects of policy on the journeys, experiences, understandings, expectations, concerns and demands of people on the move.
In addition to providing seven site-based case study analyses, the project also provides the first detailed assessment of policies associated with A European Agenda on Migration in terms of policy effects both across routes (eastern and central Mediterranean) and over time (2015 and 2016). The findings and analysis summarised in this report are presented with the aim of informing policy developments, moving forward.
Uniquely, the project report focuses directly on the impact of policies upon people on the move, drawing together policy analysis and observational fieldwork with in-depth analysis of qualitative interview data from people making – or contemplating making – the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea. As such, the report provides previously-unconsidered insights into the effects of policy on the journeys, experiences, understandings, expectations, concerns and demands of people on the move.
In addition to providing seven site-based case study analyses, the project also provides the first detailed assessment of policies associated with A European Agenda on Migration in terms of policy effects both across routes (eastern and central Mediterranean) and over time (2015 and 2016). The findings and analysis summarised in this report are presented with the aim of informing policy developments, moving forward.
Research Interests:
I begin my argument by confronting the assumed homogeneity of any community, and I hope to demonstrate how, contrary to political and public discourse so very prevalent in Malta which tends to generalize and essentialize, the Sub-Saharan... more
I begin my argument by confronting the assumed homogeneity of any community, and I hope to demonstrate how, contrary to political and public discourse so very prevalent in Malta which tends to generalize and essentialize, the Sub-Saharan African asylum seeker population also exhibits diversity, hierarchal structures and exclusion. This, I will argue, is particularly salient in the case of female asylum seekers, whose experience in Malta is often one experienced at the margins, a gendered and racialised experience, frequently marked by poverty, violence, and political disempowerment. A consideration of such matters requires the need to explore understandings of ‘community’, their scope and place in an increasingly globalized and yet localized world, and to reconsider concepts of inclusion. I will argue that despite the influence and importance of transnational communities and varied influences from overseas, be they financial, relational, political or others, physical place, or location must remain important, as the tangible proximity wherein female asylum seekers in Malta live out their day to day lives. It is within this space, that alliances and solidarities may be forged between communities made up of composite representations of identification and belonging. The issue of inclusion however, cannot be separated from issues of access to power, rights and material wellbeing. In conclusion, a pedagogical response is considered as a means of transcending gendered and racialized structures and forging alliances based on common interests within transient communities.
Research Interests:
In this chapter I will be exploring how policy decisions impact the lives of female sub-Saharan African (SSA) rejected asylum seekers living in Malta. In order to situate the analysis, the chapter begins with a look at the broader... more
In this chapter I will be exploring how policy decisions impact the lives of female sub-Saharan African (SSA) rejected asylum seekers living in Malta. In order to situate the analysis, the chapter begins with a look at the broader geopolitical neoliberal context that frames, interacts and influences the local (Maltese) context, impacting policy development at the national level, and the life of SSA rejected female asylum seekers living in Malta. Thus, the chapter begins by considering the increased securitization of the European external borders that coincides with, and is justified by, discursive strategies wherein asylum seekers are increasingly labelled as ‘illegal’ migrants, and positioned as a threat ...
Research Interests: Religion, Gender Studies, International Relations, Multiculturalism, International Law, and 29 moreHuman Rights, International organizations, Conflict, Security, Migration, Irregular Migration, Nationalism, Gender, Culture, Oral Traditions, Poverty Reduction Strategies, Post-Colonialism, Diplomacy, Human Security, Forced Migration, Migration Studies, International Economic Relations, Ethnicity, Minority Rights, Refugees, Peace, Minorities, Language politics, State, Freedom, Displacement, Borders and Borderlands, Refugee memory, and Governance and State Capacity
The HUMA network project, a network initiated by Médecins du Monde, and composed of 16 partners in 16 EU countries, promoted the access to healthcare for undocumented migrants and asylum seekers on an equal basis with nationals within the... more
The HUMA network project, a network initiated by Médecins du Monde, and composed of 16 partners in 16 EU countries, promoted the access to healthcare for undocumented migrants and asylum seekers on an equal basis with nationals within the EU from 2008 till 2011. Integra Foundation collaborated on this project. Maria Pisani speaks about access to healthcare for asylum seekers living in Malta
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBGYkpIDcKg&t=132s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBGYkpIDcKg&t=132s
‘To be a Refugee’ is a documentary made by Daniel Setiawan. In the summer of 2013, Maria Pisani (Integra Foundation/University of Malta) assisted Daniel in the making of this documentary. We think it’s a great piece of work that really... more
‘To be a Refugee’ is a documentary made by Daniel Setiawan. In the summer of 2013, Maria Pisani (Integra Foundation/University of Malta) assisted Daniel in the making of this documentary. We think it’s a great piece of work that really captures the local situation with regard to asylum flows to Malta, and provides some disturbing insights on forced migration flows from sub-Saharan Africa to Europe. Over the past 14 years, an estimated 23,000 people have died trying to reach Europe. For more information on the making of the film, please contact Daniel Setiawan on setiawan.daniel@gmail.com
Research Interests:
Integra (founded 2004) is a non-profit organisation based in Malta, operating independently of any political, economic or religious affiliation at a global level. The Foundation’s vision is that of supporting inclusive, non-discriminating... more
Integra (founded 2004) is a non-profit organisation based in Malta, operating independently of any political, economic or religious affiliation at a global level. The Foundation’s vision is that of supporting inclusive, non-discriminating and non-disabling societies, where all individuals have the right to human dignity, freedom, respect and social justice. Our mission is that of facilitating the space for marginalised individuals and groups to be listened to and to have an active and meaningful say in their lives and well being on their own terms.
Our practice is grounded in research, and pride ourselves with a strong lobbying and activist component. We regularly work with a range of populations, including: sub-Saharan African asylum seekers; disabled people; and women. We are especially active in supporting efforts at self-representation e.g. Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs).
Our practice is grounded in research, and pride ourselves with a strong lobbying and activist component. We regularly work with a range of populations, including: sub-Saharan African asylum seekers; disabled people; and women. We are especially active in supporting efforts at self-representation e.g. Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs).
This report provides a unique, in-depth analysis of the impact of EU policies in addressing the so-called European migration or refugee ‘crisis’ in 2015 and 2016. Crossing the Mediterranean Sea by Boat undertook 257 in-depth qualitative... more
This report provides a unique, in-depth analysis of the impact of EU policies in addressing the so-called European migration or refugee ‘crisis’ in 2015 and 2016.
Crossing the Mediterranean Sea by Boat undertook 257 in-depth qualitative interviews with a total of 271 participants across seven sites in two phases: Kos, Malta and Sicily from September-November 2015, and Athens, Berlin, Istanbul and some from May-July 2016. Uniquely, the project focused directly on the impact of policies upon people on the move, drawing together policy analysis and observational fieldwork with in-depth analysis of qualitative interview data from people making – or contemplating making – the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea. As such, the report provides previously-unconsidered insights into the effects of policy on the journeys, experiences, understandings, expectations, concerns and demands of people on the move. In addition to providing seven site-based case study analyses, the project also provides the first detailed assessment of policies associated with A European Agenda on Migration in terms of policy effects both across routes (eastern and central Mediterranean) and over time (2015 and 2016).
The findings and analysis summarised in this report are presented with the aim of informing policy developments, moving forward.
Crossing the Mediterranean Sea by Boat undertook 257 in-depth qualitative interviews with a total of 271 participants across seven sites in two phases: Kos, Malta and Sicily from September-November 2015, and Athens, Berlin, Istanbul and some from May-July 2016. Uniquely, the project focused directly on the impact of policies upon people on the move, drawing together policy analysis and observational fieldwork with in-depth analysis of qualitative interview data from people making – or contemplating making – the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea. As such, the report provides previously-unconsidered insights into the effects of policy on the journeys, experiences, understandings, expectations, concerns and demands of people on the move. In addition to providing seven site-based case study analyses, the project also provides the first detailed assessment of policies associated with A European Agenda on Migration in terms of policy effects both across routes (eastern and central Mediterranean) and over time (2015 and 2016).
The findings and analysis summarised in this report are presented with the aim of informing policy developments, moving forward.