Project title
People and Borders
Research question
How has border violence at the European external borders become normalised, and which institutional, political, and psychological mechanisms sustain it?
Project description
Romy van Baarsen examines how violence at the European borders becomes normalised, and what happens to the rule of law when protection becomes conditional and violence bureaucratic.
From her position as a journalist and writer, she investigates how institutions such as Frontex, EU member states, and policy structures contribute to a system in which responsibility is obscured. The book project combines fieldwork, interviews, and document analysis with philosophical reflection and literary narrative form.
The style moves between narrative and essayistic. Central to the work are moral questions: who is responsible, and what remains of our democratic values when principles such as non-refoulement (a fundamental principle of international law that prohibits a country from returning asylum seekers or refugees to a country where they would face serious threats to their life or freedom) come under pressure?
Van Baarsen will use her time at NIAS for in-depth exploration, interdisciplinary dialogue, and the reflective distance necessary to sharpen this project — both thematically and stylistically.
Selected publications
- Artikel over rapport Griekse ombudsman naar de Pylos bootramp 19-02-2025 voor de Groene Amsterdammer: https://archive.ph/ribmy
- Essay over de prijs van undercover 18-01-2025 voor Trouw: https://archive.ph/RYybU
- Artikel over de uitspraak van het Europese Hof van de Rechten van de Mens voor de Groene Amsterdammer 08-01-25: https://archive.ph/FTEG2
- Reportage over Syrisch gezin dat terugkeert naar Aleppo 06-12-24 voor het Parool: https://archive.ph/raaSD
- BBC Documentaire Dead Calm Killing in the Med, acht maanden onderzoek voor gedaan in 2023-2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iO-v8A57So&t=133s&ab_channel=TheMurderOf…
- Artikel over Mohammad Llheman, overlever van de Pylos bootramp: https://www.parool.nl/ps/mohammad-lheman-23-overleefde-een-scheepsramp-voor-de-griekse-kust-en-is-nu-kapper-in-de-pijp-klanten-komen-speciaal-voor-mij-terug~b7a1f2ee/