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From Asylum to Post‐Arrival Geographies: Syrian and Iraqi Refugees in Belgium

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  • Hala El Moussawi
  • Nick Schuermans

Abstract

This paper investigates the spatial patterns of concentration and dispersal of recently arrived refugees from Syria and Iraq in a country without stringent dispersal policies, Belgium. In order to capture both the mobility and the immobility of refugees, we propose the term “post‐arrival geographies” for these patterns. Drawing on data from the national population register, we demonstrate that many refugees move to urban and suburban locations after they have been granted refugee status. Through a comparison with the geographies of the Belgian asylum system and with the spatial distribution of Syrians and Iraqis who arrived earlier, we also explore some explanatory hypotheses for these post‐arrival geographies. The observation that dispersal takes place in Belgium in an indirect way ‐ through the location of asylum centres and local reception structures – makes us endorse pleas for more attention to institutional contexts and local settings in refugee studies.

Suggested Citation

  • Hala El Moussawi & Nick Schuermans, 2021. "From Asylum to Post‐Arrival Geographies: Syrian and Iraqi Refugees in Belgium," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 112(2), pages 164-178, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:tvecsg:v:112:y:2021:i:2:p:164-178
    DOI: 10.1111/tesg.12469
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rafael Costa & Helga A. G. Valk, 2018. "Ethnic and Socioeconomic Segregation in Belgium: A Multiscalar Approach Using Individualised Neighbourhoods," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 34(2), pages 225-250, May.
    2. Bruno Meeus & Pascal De Decker, 2015. "Staying Put! A Housing Pathway Analysis of Residential Stability in Belgium," Housing Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(7), pages 1116-1134, October.
    3. Viviana d'Auria & Racha Daher & Katharina Rohde, 2018. "From Integration to Solidarity: Insights from Civil Society Organisations in Three European Cities," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 3(4), pages 79-90.
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