Irregular Migration Journeys: Women Asylum Seekers in Athens, Greece

The growth of the securitization framework in Europe has emerged out of the political and social dynamics that portray migrants as a threat to public order, cultural identity, and domestic and labour market stability. Refugees are no longer portrayed as simply a humanitarian or political matter, but they have become part of emergency politics, meaning that extreme measures can be taken in trying to create security, extending as far as removing the rights of those that are portrayed as the potential threat.

My research aims to understand the lived experiences of the contemporary and ongoing migration journeys of women arriving “irregularly” in Greece, from the point of view of the women themselves. I examine the lived experiences of arrival, asylum claiming, transiting or settling of women in Athens with a focus on the obstacles they experienced and how they responded. I seek to assess the effects of the multiple and diverse "raising" of European borders on asylum seekers and, in particular, the effects this has had on women who have fled their home countries, arrived in Greece and become involved with a grassroots women’s NGO in Athens. My data derives from participant observation and in-depth interviews at the above-mentioned NGO in Athens during the summer of 2017.