Syrian refugees who gained asylum in Germany following the so-called refugee crisis in 2015 quickly entered into an 'integration regime' which produced a binary notion of 'well integrated' migrants versus refugees falling short of the narrow social and political definitions of a 'good' refugee.
Etzel's rich ethnographic study shows how refugees navigated this conditional inclusion. While some asylum seekers gained international protection, others were left with limited agency to demand government accountability for the ever-moving target of integration.
Putting a spotlight on the inconsistencies and failings of a universal approach to integration, this is an important contribution to the wider field of migration and anthropology of the state.
Introduction Part 1: Arrival, Processing, Status 1. The Path to Asylum 2. Asylum Decisions and What Followed Thereafter Part 2: Integration 3. Young Refugee Men: Saarbrücken 4. Families: Osnabrück and Hameln Part 3: Stagnation, Independence, Dependence 5. Institutionalized Integration: Munich and Kassel 6. Pathways Forward and Pathways Uncertain Conclusion
Morgan Etzel is Program Officer for Anti-Racism at the Federal Agency for Civic Education in Germany.