Episode 7(S3): About the role of perceptions and(mis)information in migration to Europe

The Migration Podcast

Since 2019, I was involved in PERCEPTIONS, a research project exploring perceptions and imaginaries of Europe, how these came about, how they circulated, and enquiring about their role in migration decisions. As the project comes to a close, I am discussing some of the findings with my colleagues Diotima Bertel, Sara Carrasco Granger, Elizabeth Kassinis and Alagie Jinkang. Diotima Bertel is a researcher at SYNYO and the project coordinator of PERCEPTIONS. She has a background in social sciences and in the philosophy of technology. Diotima’s research is located at the intersection of science, society and technology, focusing in particular on social inequalities (mediated by technology), hierarchies and (gendered) power dynamics, as well as the individual, social, and epistemological implications of technologies. Sara Carrasco Granger is a research fellow at the University Rey San Carlos . She is a member of the Good Governance Observatory of URJC, collaborates with PICUM (an advocacy group for undocumented migrants), and is completing her PhD studies on the migrant refugee binary. Elizabeth V. Kassinis is currently the director of Caritas Cyprus, responsible for the strategy, operations, and partnerships of a grassroots humanitarian organization that supports vulnerable populations, including migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. Her tenure with Caritas Cyprus coincided with the island becoming the largest recipient of asylum seekers per capita in the European Union. Previously, she served in various positions within the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Cyprus from 1998 to 2015 and worked as a humanitarian affairs officer with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance. Alagie Jinkang, PhD, is a research fellow at the Department of Psychology of the University of Bologna. His research interests include- but are not limited to- Human Rights & immigration law, humanitarian aid organizations, labour exploitation and labour rights of third-country nationals, slavery & colonial studies, African, Afro-American & Afro-European studies, as well as the study of West African migrations and remittance induced development. ------------------------------ PERCEPTIONS – Understanding the Impact of Narratives and Perceptions of Europe on Migration and Providing Practices, Tools and Guides for Practitioners The project was funded by the European Commission, under the Horizon 2020 Research & Innovation Action, grant SU-BES01-2018-2019-2020 More information on the project and all research tools and outcomes are available here: https://www.perceptions.eu/