9 Border as a Place of Being: Gendered Practices of Migration into the Mediterra
9 Border as a Place of Being: Gendered Practices of Migration into the Mediterranean
Kara Mickas
Europe’s “Migrant Crisis” and Gender
One of the most prevalent migration routes in the world is from the Middle East and Africa into the EU via the Mediterranean Sea. This route was especially trafficked during the EU “Migrant Crisis” during the 2010s. The route is known to be complicated and dangerous, from navigating the mountainous border from Turkey into Greece to traversing the rough conditions of the sea with little space and few supplies. 29,588 missing migrants have been recorded in the Mediterranean since 2014 (International Organization for Migration). The migration journey is more complex than the travel itself, though; preparing to leave one’s country of origin and integrating into the destination country are both lengthy and difficult processes.
Gender has a profound impact on all aspects of the migrant journey. Motivations to undertake the move are intersectional, and influences vary from personal to social to political. Women and girls experience unique struggles during the journey itself. Instances of assault and violence from smugglers are common, and women are often used as bargaining chips for seats on boats across the Mediterranean. Women and children usually occupy the worst seats, putting them at greater risk of drowning (La Cascia et al.). Many migrants come through so-called “hotspots” in Greece and Italy, which sometimes house six times their capacity of asylum seekers and migrants. People remain in camps on islands while awaiting the outcome of their asylum claims or return to Turkey under the EU-Turkey agreement. Asylum seekers are not issued social security numbers, limiting access to public health services only to the direst of cases (Human Rights Watch).
The country with the highest incoming population from the hotspot program is Greece. Greek authorities are legally required to identify “vulnerable” people in these camps, such as pregnant women, new mothers, survivors of sexual and other serious violence, single parents, and people with disabilities, but many women and girls are not screened for vulnerability, even after months of residing there. Refugees and migrants, and women in particular, have limited means to organize at the camps. Women have expressed how issues with washing facilities impact their ability to adequately care for their families. Women also express needs for better healthcare infrastructure, from women doctors and women interpreters in hospitals to access to contraception. Men with families felt discouraged by their inability to provide for their families, often leading to feelings of depression (Human Rights Watch).
Upon arrival in the EU, the process of integration is still heavily impacted by gender. Female migrants are often in domestic work and low-paid jobs, putting them at risk of exploitation. The intersectionality of these women’s ethnicity and gender impacts their access to healthcare and