Abstract

FERREIRA, Joana Vaz. Reception of applicants and beneficiaries of international protection: From normative intervention to intervention committed to a participatory democracy. Invest. Práticas [online]. 2022, vol.12, n.1, pp.5-25.  Epub Mar 29, 2022. ISSN 2182-1372.  https://doi.org/10.25757/invep.v12i1.292.

The so-called refugee crisis has seen very significant growth in Europe since 2015, largely the result of an endless war in sight in Syria and already in 2021 due to the political and social crisis that has eated in Afghanistan. When arriving in a new country, applicants and beneficiaries of international protection have the legitimacy to expect them to be allowed access to a safe place to stay, ways to ensure their fundamental needs and rights, and freedom to participate fully in anything that involves them. The issue of welcoming these people reflects the challenge of the responsibility of states and their institutions, and requires treating them as full citizens, with the same access to the resources of the country and the community where it settles, but without having to annul its identity. With this article we intend to reflect on the paths of these people who, in addition to the difficulties in getting the documentation that allows the legal stay and enjoyment of rights in the new country, are confronted with the gap between what the reception policies define, and what is done locally. To this extent, it is intended to understand the reasons that lead to this, and to reflect on the need for these people to play an active role in the whole process of reception, so that they can gain autonomy, find their place in the community, if they wish, without being held hostage by humanitarian aid.

Keywords : applicants and beneficiaries of international protection; reception; social work; participation; human rights.

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