Places and Spaces of the Others. A German Reception Centre in Public Discourse and Individual Perception

Abstract

The geographicity of refugee migration and asylum in receiving countries combines two perspectives of analysis. One is represented by uprooted, somehow alienated migrants, the other by the spatiality of refugee camps and reception centres as places and spaces of the others in the sense of a “non-place”: Sites of transit without any identity, ‘footloose’ in Augéan terms, just coexisting in their local context. Thus, this chapter uses a broad empirical approach and refers to the phenomenon’s spatial as well as social and individual elements. The empirical field is a reception and accommodation centre that was opened in 2015 in a former military base in the town of Bamberg, Germany. At that time, the discussion of political framing at the state level led to a severe crisis in German politics. On the local level, a public discourse unfolded around the centre, ranging from its capacity and residents, to the residents’ well-being in terms of legal treatment, discrimination, medical care and schooling. The initial group of residents there were, in the vast majority, migrants from Western Balkan countries applying for asylum. Starting in 2016, the structure and origin of the residents changed fundamentally. Since then, the origin of residents has become more and more heterogeneous. An analysis of spatial behaviour and spatial representation showed a broad variety of information on space and place of temporary living. Different perceptions, various ways of coping with the locality and the short duration of stay represent the fluid character of the reception centre and its residents nowadays.

The role of place in everyday life of Ukrainian war refugees in Poland

“…The common denominator in this debate is the refugee's need for spaces/places that they can call home in tangible and intangible terms and the problem of losing such places (Kim & Smets, 2020). Contemporary scholarly texts also refer to the aspect of non-places in the lives of war refugees by considering reception points, for instance, as 'places in transit' (Göler, 2020). Refugee asylums are sometimes even described as spaces of psychosocial catastrophe for their inhabitants (Kublitz, 2016).…”

Unfolding intersecting forms of socio‐spatial exclusion: Accommodation centres at the height of the “refugee reception crisis” in Germany

“…Remote physical locations of camps/accommodation centres have been identified as an influential factor in fostering spatial exclusion of forced migrants (Göler, 2020; Kreichauf, 2018; Lumpey‐Sapanski, 2022; Szczepanikova, 2013), which hinder chances for social interaction. In our sample, none of the three accommodation centres were located in the city centre but their different locations, particularly their social embeddedness in direct surroundings and the socio‐economic and political background of its residents, offered different degrees of social exclusion (see also Seethaler‐Wari, 2018 on this).…”

“…Many scholars apprehended the legal framework surrounding asylum‐seekers in the shelters from an Agambenian perspective (Agamben, 1998) underlining their ‘exceptionality’ (Agier, 2010; Kreichauf, 2018; Turner, 2015; for an exception Ramadan, 2013). Second, in addition to the centralization of refugee accommodation, which engenders an intertwinement of spatial and legal exclusion, remote physical location of most reception centres significantly reduces forced migrants' opportunities for interaction with the local residents and creates isolation (Agier, 2010; Göler, 2020; Kreichauf, 2018; Szczepanikova, 2013). This adds an ancillary layer to spatial exclusion in its nexus with social exclusion.…”

An Analytical Framework for Assessing Types of Refugee Accommodation from a Health Perspective

“…International refugee camps (Agier, 2011;Oddenino, 2018) and German collective accommodation centres (Göler, 2020) have been considered as such heterotopias. By analysing refugee camps as heterotopias, they are conceived as a product of particular political and social processes in a particular time and space (Göler, 2020).…”

“…International refugee camps (Agier, 2011;Oddenino, 2018) and German collective accommodation centres (Göler, 2020) have been considered as such heterotopias. By analysing refugee camps as heterotopias, they are conceived as a product of particular political and social processes in a particular time and space (Göler, 2020). The heterotopia lens enables to look at camps from a rather relational perspective since it helps to analyse the space of the camp in its interaction with the social and political environment.…”