This thesis examines the current process of refugee integration in Germany. It aims at finding out, how it will be possible for Germany to successfully integrate the high number of asylum seekers, particularly from the Middle East, that have arrived here since Angela Merkel’s decision of suspending the Dublin Regulations and opening Germany’s borders to refugees in late summer of 2015. In order to do so, this thesis first seeks to develop a better understanding of the concept of integration through presenting Hartmut Esser’s sociological integration theory. While previous research offers a range of theoretical works within migration and integration research, there is a lack of adequate literature analyzing the present integration process in Germany, due to the topicality of the subject. As the integration of refugees will significantly shape Germany’s sociopolitical future during the upcoming years, it is hoped that this paper can contribute to bridging this gap by creating a first evaluation of the current circumstances. For this, a content analysis of the existing sources has been combined with the results of a small-scale field study, in which ten Germans have been interviewed, conveying their expectations and worries with regard to the integration of refugees. The findings of this research have given insight into the obstacles that Germany faces with regard to efficiently integrating the newly arrived refugees. It is, first and foremost, the lengthy bureaucratic procedures and the lack of an adequate integrative infrastructure that presently impede integration processes. An increasing dissatisfaction with the government’s unstructured plan of action has further given way to a tense atmosphere among the German population. Moreover, Germany’s perception of nationhood is, up until today, largely based on an ethnic concept. Together with the country’s past reluctancy to accept its status as an immigration country, these factors constitute a hampering environment for the ongoing integration of refugees. Yet, the analysis of the interviews has displayed a partly shared understanding of the concept of integration among the German population, in which especially tolerance and mutual efforts are valued most. In view of the fact that Germans have previously shown great willingness to receive refugees, these results give reason for hope. In the near future, it will become of crucial importance that the German government creates a thorough strategy, in which measures to strengthen integration are clearly described. It is only through fast and concrete actions, which allow room for flexibility, that infrastructural omissions can be compensated and the population’s trust in a successful outcome can be renewed. Finally, it will be necessary that future research takes into account the voices of refugees themselves in order to generate a more complex understanding of how successful integration can look like in Germany.

The refugee crisis has escalated significantly in Europe, becoming one of the main destinations for refugees. Sweden is one of the largest European recipients for asylum applications and was taking in the largest number of refugees in Europe in 2015 in terms of per capita; at 15 refugees per 1,000 inhabitants. With this large flow of refugees into Sweden, a large number of needs arise among the refugees along with a number of challenges concerning integration. These needs and challenges could potentially become attractive business ideas and Sweden should, theoretically, be seeing a significant increase in entrepreneurial activity with a focus on these issues. However, the phenomenon that is observed is that this does not appear to be the case with this crisis. Entrepreneurial activity does not appear to have increased significantly in relation to the refugee crisis in Sweden. Why is that? What are the underlying barriers that hinder individuals from engaging in the entrepreneurial process during the refugee crisis in Sweden? This study finds that the three main barriers after having collected 52 responses are 1) no time/ other priorities, 2) capital requirements and 3) lack of information. Furthermore, many of the barriers that were identified have to do with the individuals’ reluctance to enter the entrepreneurial process. A total of 21 respondents identified such a barrier - that is 40.4% of the responses collected. If the majority of individuals in Sweden are unwilling or reluctant to present innovative ideas, then the difficulty that arises is finding an efficient solution that reaches a large part of the population.

Denna studie argumenterar för att dagens mediesamhälle fungerar som en hybrid, där sociala medier och traditionella medier lever och verkar i symbios. Det som får tillräckligt stor spridning på sociala medier kan påverka nyhetsdagordningen och därmed vad allmänheten anser vara viktigt för tillfället. Detta är betydelsefullt för biståndsorganisationer som, för att kunna nå ut till många och öka chanserna till att samla in pengar, är i behov av att deras sak får plats på dagordningen. Studien baseras på en kvantitativ innehållsanalys av samtliga publicerade videoklipp av Sverige för UNHCR på Facebook under 2015. Variablerna baserades på teorier om viralitet, som ursprungligen har utvecklats inom marknadsföring. Där ingick teori om social delning av känslor, social nätverksteori, self-determination theory samt marknadsföringsmodellen ”the Dragonfly effect”. Studien visade hur teorierna kunde utnyttjas även i detta sammanhang, om de anpassades utifrån kontexten. Resultatet visade att the Dragonfly effect tycks vara en lämplig modell i denna kontext. Videon ”Search for Syria” utmärkte sig i detta urval, genom att ha högst antal visningar kombinerat med en förhållandevis hög andel användarresponser, som bidrar till spridningen. Alla fyra steg inom Dragonfly-modellen kunde identifieras i denna video, vilket indikerar att detta är en lämplig modell för att öka chansen till spridning i denna kontext. Studien fann också att urvalet av videoklipp generellt inte var konstruerade på ett sätt som uppmuntrar till spridning. Vidare noterades att starka känslomässiga inslag, så som provokativa och obehagliga scener, förekommer mer i videor som fått flest visningar. Samtidigt tycks videoklipp med en större andel positiva och hoppfulla inslag få större användarrespons i form av ”gillningar”, kommentarer och delningar.

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Thesis advisor: Hiroshi Nakazato / The Iraq War began on March 30, 2003, prompted by the US-led invasion of Iraq. This major, long-lasting conflict resulted in a drastic increase in the number of internally displaced Iraqis as well as Iraqi refugees. The resulting stream of Iraqi refugees is known as the Iraqi refugee crisis. This thesis first conducts a literature review the field of refugee studies, including a review of major theoretical works. From this review emerge theories and frameworks governing the root causes of refugee crises and the resulting consequences. Within the context of the Iraq War, this thesis then analyzes the policy response of the United States to the Iraqi refugee crisis. This analysis is comprised of various models of factors and variables that influence national and international refugee policy. The conclusion suggests that national security considerations, bureaucratic tension due to a principal-agent relationship between Congress and the president, as well as wider foreign policy and Iraqi-US relations, were the major factors that influenced the US policy response. Eventually, additional moral and ethical considerations provoked a change in policy, making the United States more receptive to Iraqi refugee admissions. In doing so, this thesis presents the US policy response against the backdrop of the United Nations Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, the body governing the international refugee regime. It suggests that compliance with its mandate has become increasingly difficult, as the landscape of refugee flows has evolved over the twentieth century. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: International Studies Honors Program. / Discipline: International Studies.

Securitization of Immigrant - and its Political Impacts on European Union Recent events that has changed the European Union's immigration policies - securitization of immigrants has a political effects beyond immigration policies Key Words: securitization, European Union, immigration, refugee crisis 2015, immigration policies Has securitization of immigrants affected on European Union's immigration policies? 1. Securitization theory 2. Securitization of immigrants 1. http://www.e-ir.info/2016/01/29/implications-of-the-securitisation-of-migration/ 2. media 3. How has securitization of immigrants affected on EU policies / what kind of changes EU has done on its policies 1. after 9/11 1. terrorism 2. what changed EU has done 2. refugee crisis 2015 1. what changes EU has done

As long as European Union has existed, as long there has been discussion of how long will the union stay as a whole. The differences between the member states are visible and because of this common policies are hard to achieve. European Union has done a lot in trying to create a harmonized immigration policies, yet there have been challenges. The refugee crisis that started in 2015 was something that EU as well as its member states were not prepared for. Different policies were done and cooperation was created, yet many member states turned against the EU and decided not to follow its rules. There was a fear that was a lot affected by the securitization of the immigrants. Key words: securitization, European Union, immigration, refugee crisis 2015, realism,

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The global ‘refugee crisis’ is increasingly affecting Europe and especially Greece, which has been the country through which many people on the move enter Europe. Within refugee education the role of teachers is recognised as the key facilitator of education, yet there are few studies which centre on teachers. This paper aims to explore and compare how teachers re/construct their ideas about the value of education, their vision on education and their role as a teacher as a result of their experience working in refugee education. Key concepts of the study are a holistic approach to teachers’ professional development, construed as teacher identity, and refugee education. The study centralises the narratives of eight teachers of different nationalities who worked or are working in Greece, either on the mainland or on the islands. Data was collected through narrative interviews applying the biographical method. An inductive coding process led to four themes: teachers’ development, teachers’ profile, educating refugees, and vision on refugee education. Similarities and differences between the stories of teachers form the basis of comparisons about teaching refugees of different ages, female refugees, and at other locations. The findings are discussed in light of the principles and concepts of Life Course Theory and Transformative Learning Theory. The findings show that teachers’ choices and actions in teaching refugees are embedded in the contemporary context of time and place, motivated by the current global crisis. The experiences of teaching refugees impact teachers personally and shape not only individual but also collective attitudes through principles of linked lives, time, and place. Teachers describe their ongoing and cumulative teacher identity re/construction, including altering their perspectives on the narrative of refugees due to their work experiences, which aligns with key concepts and principles of (adult) learning in the Life Course Theory and Transformative Learning Theory.