Mobility strategies against the Dublin Regulation: the role of kinship networks


Nargül S.

Making Family while Seeking Asylum. Renegotiating Kinship and Gender against European Asylum Regimes, Berlin, Germany, 23 - 24 April 2026, (Unpublished)

  • Publication Type: Conference Paper / Unpublished
  • City: Berlin
  • Country: Germany
  • Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Abstract
Continental Europe is trying to limit irregular movements from geographies struggling to survive under the violence of conflicts, instability and socio-economic crises. Countries on transit routes that are significantly affected by these movements, particularly the European Union countries, are also developing mechanisms to prevent migration. On the other hand, realising that migration cannot be completely prevented, states are changing their asylum and refugee procedures and transferring responsibility to other regions. The Dublin Regulation, which is implemented in response to this policy, stands at the point of preventing irregular migrants from seeking asylum elsewhere.

In fact, migrants have to follow different strategies in their daily lives against this practice which encourages immobility and transfers the responsibility to the first country of entry on the transit route. They prefer riskier routes in order to avoid fingerprinting in the first country of entry, when they are detected in these countries, they can follow various methods in order not to give their fingerprints, when fingerprints are taken, they wait for the information to be deleted from the system and try to cope with the fear of deportation when they arrive in other countries.

This study will analyse young, male Afghans who reach France irregularly and despite being exposed to the Dublin Regulation, they determine counter-strategies in their daily life practices. In particular, those who try to complete their journey by using migrant networks related to kinship such as cousins, uncles, brothers during their irregular mobility and who determine daily life strategies through these networks in the destination city will be discussed.

Key Words: Dublin Regulation, Europe, Irregular Migration, Urban Spaces, Strategies