The Refugee Crisis and its Impact on Marginalized Minorities along the Western Balkan Route

Dr. Julija Sardelic  (University of Liverpool)

Dr. Sardelic investigates the long-term impacts of the 2015/16 refugee crisis on the politics of diversity, with a particular emphasis on the countries along the Western Balkan route.

She argues that the transformation of legislation and the political/media discourses that emerged during that period also affected previous marginalized minorities and migrants especially in the post-Yugoslav space. The lecture will highlight case studies which show a broader impact on the politics of diversity and marginalized minorities in different countries. The examples include the case of Serbia, analysing media narratives and political discourse on the solidarity that a Serbian policeman (of Albanian ethnicity) has shared with a Syrian refugee child, as well as the case of a missing three-year old Romani girl in Croatia who was initially identified as a Syrian refugee. Finally, the lecture will discuss anti-refugee protests in Slovenia, including those protesting the settling of unaccompanied refugee children.

A seminar hosted by the UCL SSEES South-East European Studies Seminar Series.
Convenor: Dr Diana Georgescu