Migration to Italy has drastically increased, with thousands of refugees traveling by sea to Sicily, a major entry point into the European Union. Upon arrival, authorities send refugees to first reception centers and then transfer them to second reception centers operated by local NGOs. While there is abundant scholarship regarding refugee resettlement, there is little anthropological research specifically concerning the conditions of second reception centers. Based on ethnographic research conducted in 2015 and 2016 at second reception centers for refugees in Siracusa, this article examines how NGO practices shape refugees' experiences after they arrive in Italy. While NGO practices often adversely affect refugees, we argue that good humanitarian aid is possible at second reception centers for refugees throughout Europe. This article highlights the practices of one center for unaccompanied minors that functions as an example of “good aid” by effectively distributing economic and social services, thus facilitating refugees' integration into Italian society. It is important to understand the conditions under which humanitarian aid can have a positive impact on refugee resettlement experiences in order to improve European refugee policy and non-governmental practices and ensure they adequately support the refugee population, particularly unaccompanied minors.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Summer 2018
Research Article|
June 01 2018
The Effect of Second Reception Center Practices on Refugee Experiences in Sicily
Human Organization (2018) 77 (2): 79–89.
Citation
Russell Rice Manzano, Joanna Mishtal, Shana Harris; The Effect of Second Reception Center Practices on Refugee Experiences in Sicily. Human Organization 1 June 2018; 77 (2): 79–89. doi: https://doi.org/10.17730/0018-7259-77.2.79
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionCiting articles via
Field Research in the Era of the Islamic State and Trump
William Yaworsky, Dawid Wladyka, Katarzyna Sepielak
Changes in Social Capital Associated with the Construction of the Belo Monte Dam: Comparing a Resettled and a Host Community
Adam Mayer, Maria Claudia Lopez, Guillaume Leturcq, Emilio Moran
Measuring Subjective and Objective Well-being: Analyses from Five Marine Commercial Fisheries—Where Are We Now?
Patricia M. Clay, Courtland L. Smith