This initial project, supported with PRIO's internal funds, examined the situation in the Greek hotspot of Lesvos and in Athens in the aftermath of public attention that soared in 2015 (see further in separate application). It asked what this attention left behind, both in terms of the local communities and in terms of the refugee and migrant communities which were at its centre. This was compared to the nascent situation in Cyprus where refugee accommodation structures have not yet developed into hotspots.
The project consisted of one month of intense field research in Greece, preparation of an application to FRIHUMSAM, a workshop in Cyprus, a follow-up workshop in Oslo, and presentations in the US (AAA conference) and UK (University of Sussex). The research activities of the project yielded immensely valuable insights, which will feed into further funding applications and the preparation of materials for dissemination, including as part of the pursuit of publications under #2. The FRIHUMSAM application received a very high score (6s and As) and will be resubmitted in 2018. The AAA presentation was the subject of an executive session in the most high-profile conference in anthropology and this added to the visibility of the results. The University of Sussex presentation furthered existing contacts and created new ones, which can be utilised in further collaborations. The workshops in Cyprus and Oslo created stronger connections among migration researchers at PRIO, PCC and Greece and this is already yielding collaborations on funding applications and presentations. An H2020 application is planned for 2018 as well as a panel at IASFM, the main international conference on forced migration.
