Introduction

Abstract

Irregular migration makes headlines in Europe. Whether in the style of heart-bleeding compassion or misleading security concerns, it certainly creates some hype. Then, migrants ‘disappear’ for some time, to surface again in public debates as an asylum, regularization or integration issue. There is the time spent in-between which somehow goes unnoticed. This book is about this obscure phase and the way in which it ties in and effects the whole migration process.

... It’s been two years since we got here ... When we first arrived with my husband, we didn’t know what to do; should we stay? There was no hope to get asylum. Should we go? He had friends in France and they were telling us to go there and from there we could go to England; but we had just arrived in Greece, I was so tired and we were running out of money. We said OK let’s wait a bit and see, when we have money perhaps we will try to go. We stayed in Lavrio [refugee camp] for six months and slowly, slowly my husband found a job here, a job there, so we managed; I didn’t work. We moved to a flat together with five others. We were saving money and sending half to my mother and sister at home ... In the beginning it was really difficult, I was crying a lot, but we didn’t tell them how hard it was in Greece. We put on our best clothes, went to the Acropolis and took a photo, and sent it to them. They thought that we made it, and that we are happy ... And it’s been two years now.

(Interview with Kurd, Athens, November 2001)