1. Human Security in the Context of the European Refugee Dilemma
The Global Leadership Center at Ohio University/American Studies at Leipzig University
Clare Lyons, Friedrich Opitz, Emma Perrin, Alexandra Philipps, Kira Remy, Shayna Siegel
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2. Executive Summary
There is an increasingly urgent lack of human security in the Middle East and Northern
Africa as intensified conflict and instability continue. Consequently, refugees have relocated to
the European Union where anti-refugee sentiments are on the rise. This influx of refugees has
accelerated an identity crisis for many EU citizens, as their own national identities are being
challenged due to the pressing amount of refugees. This crisis is expressed in a societal transition
from a uniform toward a more diversified social make-up in terms of ethnicity, religion, and
culture in Europe. This change challenges the sense of human security within Europe, as it
disrupts daily patterns of life for many EU citizens. A failure to acknowledge this demographic
change and move towards an inclusive heterogeneous European identity ​will continue to threaten
human security for both refugees as well as pre-existing European societies.​ ​Many Europeans are
desperately trying to reaffirm their national, religious, and societal identities in light of the new
reality present in European society. The increasing influx of refugees is the biggest factor
prompting a diversified social makeup, and effective change and co-existence can be achieved
through acknowledging this new reality.
Encouraging grassroot involvement will foster cooperation and exchange between
citizens and refugees. It intends to ultimately create a new sense of common identity by
establishing mutual understanding and respect through personalizing the European refugee
dilemma for EU citizens and refugees. ​We recommend a comprehensive initiative comprised of
informational and media efforts to promote an environment where individuals can determine
their new identity in a more diverse society, known as the New Reality Initiative.
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3. Part I
Problem Charge
Intensified conflict and continuing instability in the Middle East and Northern Africa
have caused an urgent lack of human security for countless people. As a result, at an increasing
rate, refugees have started to relocate to the European Union. However, European anti-refugee
sentiments are on the rise. The influx of refugees has accelerated an identity crisis for many EU
citizens. This crisis is expressed in a societal transition from uniform towards more diversified
social make-ups in terms of ethnicity, religion, and culture. This challenges the feeling of
security for many EU citizens. In time, failure to create a heterogeneous European identity that
adjusts to this new societal reality will threaten human security for both refugees as well as
pre-existing European societies. Anti-immigrant sentiments and right-wing governmental
insurgence are the most obvious examples of this identity crisis. Many Europeans are desperately
trying to reaffirm their national, religious, and societal identities. The increasing influx of
refugees is the biggest factor prompting a diversified social make-up.
Human Security & Identity Crisis
The United Nations Development Program Report in 1994 states: “Human security
means first safety from chronic threats like hunger, disease and repression. Second, it means
safety from sudden and hurtful disruptions in the patterns of daily life – whether in homes, in
jobs, or in communities,” (UNDR, 1994). Accordingly, refugees escaping war torn areas simply
want to survive and seek a more promising future. However, once refugees arrive in Europe, the
concept of human security becomes more complex. In order to conceptualize “sudden and hurtful
disruptions in the patterns of daily life,” it is helpful to take a closer look into societal identities.
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4. First, each individual’s identity relies upon a wider range of pillars. These pillars can be
“allegiance to a certain religious tradition, nationality, profession, institutional allegiance, or a
particular social milieu. But the list is much longer than that; it is virtually unlimited,” (Maalouf,
1996). Applied to a diversifying Europe, traditional pillars of identity are cracking, exemplifying
shaken self-perceptions. ​Europe now faces an influx of people that could permanently reshape
their societies. Many Europeans are experiencing a collective identity crisis and feel that their
national identity is compromised by the influx of foreign peoples.​ (Maalouf, A. 1996, p. 10).
More recently, xenophobia has gathered new strength. Many ultranationalist groups are
spreading across the western world. This is displayed in the rise of right-wing parties that oppose
migration across the European Union’s opening internal borders. This fear of “the other”
embodied in the migrants fleeing across the Mediterranean from Syria and other regions faced
with war, oppression, corruption or decline, has stalled the integration process in the EU
(Cowell, NYT 2015). In order to ensure human security and social cohesion on a global scale,
policy makers must remember that, ​“identity isn’t given once and for all: it is built up and
changes throughout a person’s lifetime” (Maalouf, A. 1996, p. 23). Further explanation of
European’ identity struggles in the areas of Poland and Germany will be included.
Part II
Scope and Severity
Europe is experiencing its worst refugee crisis since the Second World War. The Arab
Spring in 2011 spurred an insurgence of instability to many regions, and Syria has felt the
turbulence immensely. Since 2013, Syria has been the most common source of refugees in the
world (Alfred, 2015). A devastating civil war has led to a complete lack of human security for
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5. Syrians. Public bombings occur consistently, human rights are violated continuously, and
Syrians also suffer from shortages of the most basic human necessities like food, safe drinking
water, and medical supplies. Half the country’s pre-war population, more than 11 million people,
have been either killed or displaced from their homes since the conflict began (Jahan, 2015, p.
68). With such strife in their home country, most Syrians seek refuge in Europe. Refugees often
resort to dangerous methods of transportation across the Mediterranean to reach Europe,
perceiving a greater risk in staying where they are (BBC, 2016).
German Example
Most refugees have an ultimate goal to seek asylum in countries with vibrant economies.
Germany ​is the main destination for refugees, especially after preferred Scandinavian countries
imposed harsher restrictions. Germany has taken in close to a million refugees in the past eleven
months (UN, 2016). Following this influx of asylum-seekers, many Germans are experiencing
their own perceived lack of human security, fearing that it will cause fundamental societal
changes. Some German citizens fear a sudden and hurtful disruption in the patterns of their daily
life, including their jobs and communities. Furthermore, they view this influx as a threat to
national identity.
In response, recent regional elections in several German states unveiled a deep rift in
society. The newly formed right- wing party “Alternative for Germany” won significant
percentages. Their campaign, originally rooted in anti-Euro resentments, now triggered fears of
multiculturalism, slurred against Chancellor Merkel’s refugee policy, and warned for a decay of
national identity. Their message appealed especially to people in the former states of the GDR
area. In the state of Saxony-Anhalt, where the party ran for the first time, it immediately gained
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6. twenty-four percent of the votes. In response to ​more than 200 arson attacks against homes for
asylum-seekers seen in Germany this year, Merkel said on August 16, 2015 that the actions were
"unworthy of our country," taking a strong stance to defend the rights of refugees against
Germans attacking them (NYT, 2015).
Polish Example
In Germany’s neighbor Poland, a right-wing government took over right after the terrorist
attacks on Paris in November, 2015. Public anxiety of alleged Islamization was key to the party’s
success, as Poland has since championed a strong Christian tradition. Ninety-four percent of the
Polish population is Roman Catholic (Schuessler 2016). Since the new government took office, it
further armed its vocabulary against immigration and resisted more refugees.
Not only Polish Christians see their religious identity threatened. In fact, as a Muslim
minority, the Tartars see their identity of Polish Islam challenged through the refugee influx. The
Tartars, only about 3,000 of them living in Poland, fear to become outnumbered and even
support the government’s harsh stance on immigration. This is to preserve a part of their
homogenous identity: “I am Muslim, I am Tartar, and I am Polish” (Schuessler, 2016). Different
regional societal make-ups, combined with fundamentally varying histories, leave questions of
national identity unanswered.
Europe is currently mourning the victims of yet another devastating terrorist attack.
Events like the Paris and Brussels attacks continue to intensify the debate about the influx of
foreign people in relation to international security. However, they also inspire people to question
the true meaning of European identity in terms of common values and religious beliefs.
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7. Stakeholders
Points of Entry
Due to the geographical location of Italy and Greece, these countries have continued to
receive the highest amount of refugees and do not have the capacity for accommodation. As a
result, refugee camps along the borders of Europe are too often overcrowded and underfunded.
These camps are a cumbersome and often traumatic step for people seeking asylum in Europe,
and refugees’ human security is therefore compromised at their points of entry. Furthermore, this
state of isolation is serving as an identity-purgatory for many refugees.
The EU and Turkey
The EU’s plan is to relocate 160,000 people across Member states over the next two
years, reached after months of negotiations to overcome reluctant governments. ​However,
European Member states aim to significantly reduce the number of people arriving at its borders,
and have done so through an incentivized agreement with Turkey. The agreement contains
certain financial and infrastructural benefits for Turkey.
USA
It is important to consider that Europe is not the only area of power that is facing an
identity crisis. In the past year, the United States had admitted and resettled over 70,000 refugees
(USSD, 2015). Refugee resettlement in the US has been a subject of debate for many of the
presidential candidates and xenophobic tendencies have even accompanied the campaign trail.
For example, Donald ​Trump has said the US should not accept refugees from the civil war torn
country, "We have no idea who these people are, we are the worst when it comes to paperwork,
this could be one of the great Trojan horses" (Donald Trump, November 2015).
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8. UN
Some of the supportive efforts provided by the UN include allocating funds to necessary
refugee camps to ensure basic human security for refugees. However, “financially broke” is how
Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, described UN agencies​ ​in
September 2015 (The Guardian, 2015). Wealthy countries are not keeping their promises to fund
aid for refugees abroad. For example, the UN has received less than half the funding it needs to
support Syria’s four million refugees. Therefore, basic human security is being further
compromised in refugee camps because of this lack of funding.
Part III
No Entry
In order to combat the identity crisis, a first possible solution is closing the borders of EU
states and restricting refugees from entering the EU. A ceased refugee influx will halt further
European diversification. As a result of closing the borders, there would be an increased need to
allocate aid provided by the EU to stabilize refugee camps in Turkey. These funds would
strengthen infrastructural support to improve living conditions within existing refugee camps. By
increasing humanitarian standards throughout the refugee camps, individuals would be
incentivized to remain there rather than immediately seeking asylum in Europe. However, the
desire for people to establish themselves in Europe’s prosperous societies cannot be deterred.
Therefore, this solution only temporarily reduces the pressure of immigration on Europe’s
borders.
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9. Informational Initiative
A second recommendation aims to deconstruct stigmas and misconceptions on the
refugee crisis held by EU citizens and refugees through the continuous outsourcing of factual
information. By providing a physical public platform to output factual information, participants
can negotiate a mutual destiny in which all concerns and questions are voiced in fluid
interactions. This safe space will empower EU citizens and refugees to be involved in this
pressing refugee dilemma, and promotes self-reflection on how each individual identity
contributes to this identity crisis. Examples of this can be found in Appendix B and C, which
describes site visits that have been personally conducted with the interactive artist Tania El
Khoury, as well as the public forum ​What Does Islam Mean to You?
Media Campaign
A third recommendation involves a media campaign that engages conventional media
outlets and social media platforms to start public discourse, specifically focusing on personal
narratives. Through capitalizing on personal narratives that represent the ideologies and
experiences of EU citizens and refugees, the aim is to trigger empathy and transparency between
all individuals. An example is employed by Syrian actor Firas Alshater and German
videographer Jan Heilig. Together they are creating a video project that presents the struggles of
Syrian refugees living in Germany in a comical manner. These videos are designed to increase
mutual understanding, ultimately promoting inclusion and not division.
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10. Part IV
Recommendation
The New Reality Initiative is a comprehensive recommendation that combines the
Informational Initiative and Media Campaign. This Initiative focuses on decreasing negative
stigmas and stereotypes, all the while capitalizing on personal narratives to promote mutual
respect and understanding. The identity crisis is addressed by deconstructing reservations on the
European refugee dilemma and personalizing this situation for both European Union citizens and
incoming refugees. With this approach, individuals will begin to experience a new reality that
encourages transparency, coexistence, and a mutual destiny within individual identities.
The informational component is rooted in providing the public sphere with current facts
and statistics on refugee relocation, integration process, and demographics. This information will
be shared in public settings such as forums, panels, and roundtable discussions. These physical
spaces will allow the community to express their concerns and engage in dialogue that
deconstruct stigmas and misconceptions. This ultimately promotes an environment where all
individuals strive for a new identity based in mutual respect and raised consciousness. To
maximize efforts, it is encouraged to utilize existing events such as regional sports events and
festivities to cultivate this discourse. In order to ensure involvement from rural communities,
community representatives will be encouraged to attend the discussions to provide their voice. In
turn, these representatives will initiate a discussion within their own rural communities.
To supplement these efforts, social media is a cost effective medium that can be utilized
to outsource personal narratives. As this dilemma is personalized, society members will be more
inclined to participate in this dialogue as they realize their voice can be heard. A way to gain
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11. momentum for this virtual dialogue is through a hashtag movement such as #MyIdentityIs or
#WelcomeRefugeesBecause. To further establish this campaign, public figures such as football
celebrities and artist like Tania El Khoury can engage more diversified masses of individuals
with their already existing network of support.
The focus of this Initiative is based in the perceptions and voice of the public sphere. An
existing and successful campaign that utilizes similar tactics is the No More Racism campaign
started by Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) and Union of European Football
Associations (UEFA). The focus of this Initiative is based in the perceptions and voice of the
public sphere. Through presenting the message at football events and voicing the views of the
footballs players, this campaign has been able to decrease racist attitudes and dialogue
throughout the sport and even transnationally.
Consequently, they will conquer a common identity based on the realizations made. All
of these information outlets mentioned will in turn not only acknowledge the new societal
makeup, but ensure future cooperation and understanding that needs to occur in order to increase
human security. Ultimately, the New Reality Initiative will encourage people to explore the new
societal conditions around them.
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12. Appendix A
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13. Appendix B
Site Visit 1- Tania El Khoury
March 31, 2016
Team Human Security
Clare Lyons, Friedrich Opitz, Emma Perrin, Alexandra Phillips, Kira Remy, Shayna Siegel
Our team, as part of our research into human security and identity, met with Tania El
Khoury on March 31, 2016. El Khoury is a ​live artist based in London and Beirut. ​Her pieces are
interactive installations and performances in which the audience collaborates.
The primary goal of her artwork is often to tell peoples through oral histories and
interactive exhibits. She identifies universal themes, such as rising against oppression, grief, loss,
etc., and attempts to create experiences that will make her audiences recognize those feelings.
One piece, ​Stories of Refuge, is an audio-video piece that describes the lives of three Syrian
asylum seekers who sought refuge in Munich, Germany. She interviewed a 26 year-old man
who, at the time of her work, had not been granted legal residency after seven months in Munich.
She talked to a 16-year-old boy who had recently arrived in Munich and was trying to gain
residency before he turned 18, in the hopes of using a family-reunification clause to help the rest
of his family get to Germany as well. The third subject was a 25-year-old mother who lived in a
temporary camp and was awaiting residency papers.
The participants were given a video camera to film a day in their lives as asylum seekers
in Munich. They also recorded an oral history, which was played in the installation. It was
presented on the side of a main street in Munich in a shipping container with three bunk beds.
This meeting confirmed a lot of the ideas we’ve already implemented into our project,
specifically in regards to the New Reality Initiative.
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14. Appendix C
Site Visit 2- “What Does Islam Mean to You?”
March 31, 2016
Team Human Security
Clare Lyons, Friedrich Opitz, Emma Perrin, Alexandra Phillips, Kira Remy, Shayna Siegel
This public forum was organized by a junior Geology student at Ohio University. It
included a panel of international students who identified as Muslim. It was open to the public,
and community members outside of the university were also invited.
Hashim Pashtun, originally from Afghanistan, is also the president of the International
Student Union at Ohio University and was one of the speakers at the event. The panel also
included students from Morocco, Tunisia, and Indonesia. The inclusion of non-Muslims in the
panel was intended to open up a dialogue about how Islam is understood by those who do not
follow it.
“It highlights the mentality and conceptions being a non-Muslim-American — what do
you think about Islam?” Pashtun said. “How do you find the problems and how are you able to
get more information and awareness?”
Pashtun said he hoped that the event assisted in creating an accurate portrayal of
Muslims, not simply a positive one. In light of recent terrorist attacks carried out by the Islamic
State group, Pashtun hoped to bring awareness to the idea that goodness should be talked about
in terms of people instead of the religion they follow.
“There is nothing good or bad about Islam,” he said. “Islam is a religion which came into
being 14 to 15 hundred years ago, and the rules and laws are the same. Nothing has changed
about Islam. What has changed is Muslims.”
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15. Audience members were allowed to ask anonymous questions through notecards.
Pashtun has participated in similar talks during Campus Conversations, and said the
receptions have been mostly positive. The intent of talks like these, he said, is to provide a
medium for people of all faiths, or no faith, to understand each other more clearly.
Winsome Chunnu-Brayda, the strategic director for Diversity and Inclusion and Multicultural
Programs, said although college campuses, including OU, tend to stress themselves on being
inclusive, higher institutions are not a bubble void of prejudice.
“What we tend to see across college campuses around the country, is that for the most
part there is a space created and a push from the administration for dialogue,” she said.
Social media, like Twitter, can either help or hinder social movements, Chunnu-Brayda said.
“It’s instant, it’s worldwide and you can get something going not just at OU, but
everybody is picking it up across the globe,” she said. “Right away, people can jump on it and
support.”
The panel was a successful example of an informational initiative that we hope could be
replicated on a global scale. It provided personal narratives to the public in a formal way.
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16. Appendix D
Site Visit 3- Professor Nukhet Sandal
April 4, 2016
Team Human Security
Clare Lyons, Friedrich Opitz, Emma Perrin, Alexandra Phillips, Kira Remy, Shayna Siegel
Germany
-cultural integration problems started w/ Turkish labor immigration
-not all Syrian
Turkey
-EU is paying Turkey to take refugees
-providing Turkish population w/ travel opportunities (similar to Schengen)
-all solutions are only band-aids
-Turkish immigrants renegotiated their identity in Germany
-health-care insurance is gone for Turkish residence because of amount of Syrians
-fear in Turkey of Muslim extremists
-human security cannot exist without national security (ISIS presence threatens that)
-people do not think in a sophisticated way when national security is threatened
-believes refugees must assimilate to society & align values w/ host country
-Turkey can not accept 5 million Pakistani refugees
-situating cultural issues
-you have to look at different cultures
-refugees challenge nation-state culture
-Germans must give up ethnicity as a way of judging citizenship
-before you find a solution you have to first put your shoes in those that live there
-close minded people will not attend/difficult to convert right wing racist people
-How can you use German-Turkish citizens to reframe opinions
-media discourse is important
-fact checking NGO
-problem goes beyond grassroots campaigning
-showcase successful refugees for the public
-Germans want to see people that will contribute to the society
-create extra space for Syrian scholars
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17. References
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Grows Retrieved from. ​http://nyti.ms/1UB34z5
Stavropoulou, M. (2016). Refugee protection in Europe: time for a major overhaul?. Forced
Migration Review, (51), 7-0.
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18. The Economist. (2016, March 14). What Germany’s state election results mean for its politics.
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UNDR.(1994) United Nations Development Program Report. Retrieved from
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inside Syria and the region fuel despair, driving thousands towards Europe. Retrieved
from http://www.unhcr.org/55eed5d66.html
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