Team Members: Dr. Monika Palmberger (PI), Beja Protner, PhD, Adnan Smajić, MA.
Project Duration: March 2025 - February 2028
Funding: Austrian Science Fund (FWF)
This research investigates the experiences of refugees at the EU's external borders (between Bosnia and Croatia), examining their informal support and solidarity networks both inside and outside refugee camps, their journeys into EU territory, and their civic engagement through digital infrastructure. Although an important route for refugees into Europe leads through Bosnia and Herzegovina, the situation there remains significantly under-researched. Digital infrastructure is not only essential for migrants to coordinate care and support but also influences how they engage in civic activities and potentially claim rights and recognition in often new and innovative ways.
This ethnographic research is one of the first anthropological studies situated in Southeast Europe within this context. It will provide insights into how digitalization shapes refugees' experiences – influencing their mobility, access to resources, and social connections – while being embedded in contemporary migrant governmentality through digital surveillance, border control, and the role of online networks in facilitating care, transnational placemaking, and acts of citizenship from below.