The Most-Read Blog Posts of ‘22
In 2022, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine marked the return of war to Europe. The ongoing impact of COVID-19, global economic inequality, gender and racial disparities, recurring humanitarian crises in countries such as Syria and Afghanistan, and frequent extreme weather events have exacerbated the situation. These factors have all led to a rise in forcibly displaced people and significant changes in patterns of migration and mobility. To offer insight and perspective on these pressing issues, the nccr – on the move blog serves as a platform for analysis, discussion, and reaction, shedding light on a wide range of topical issues from diverse viewpoints.
Given the context of these global events, it is not surprising that our blog series, “Europe on the Brink,” which examined the Russian invasion of Ukraine from various perspectives, received the most readership. The series, which ran from March to September, featured 14 articles contributed by both internal and external authors and gained over 3,240 views, accounting for 9% of the total views for the year. Overall, the blog saw a 22% increase in readership compared to the previous year, with a total increase of approx. 3,000 readers.
The most-read blog contribution of the past year is “Migration and Methodological Amnesia,” written by Ipek Demir, which received over 1,300 views. In her article, she seizes the 20th anniversary of Andreas Wimmer’s and Nina Glick Schiller’s groundbreaking article on methodological nationalism in migration studies to draw attention to blind spots that persist in the field today. Specifically, Demir argues that scholars have largely overlooked the temporal aspects of migration and mobility, as well as the ‘colonial and imperial axes of the movements of people.’ According to her, in addition to naturalizing the national order in migration studies, as Wimmer and Glick Schiller demonstrated, scholars have also failed to account for the ongoing legacies of imperialism and colonialism.
Overcoming the Methodological Amnesia
Ipek Demir further illustrates by examining diaspora studies how the creation of diasporic groups was often initiated in the era of colonialism and imperial states, yet is now mostly treated in academic research as recent ‘ethno-political’ struggles within the context of nation-states. Instead, Demir maintains that the contemporary migrations to Europe from former colonial empires must be contextualized historically, rather than viewed as unprecedented events. She goes on to highlight that earlier European migrations to non-European destinations in the aftermath of colonialism must also be recognized for their scale and impact. Demir thus calls for new approaches in migration and mobility studies that account for colonial legacies and related power structures and advocates not only for a critical examination of methodological nationalism, but also methodological amnesia.
The Benefits of Citizenship
The second most popular post on our blog is an article by Anita Manatschal from 2017 that discusses the benefits of citizenship. With over 1,100 views, she presents an informative overview of research findings on the impact of naturalization on migrants and their host countries. Manatschal presents compelling evidence of the social, economic and political benefits of obtaining citizenship not only for immigrants, but also for society as a whole.
What is particularly noteworthy is that the sustained interest in Manatschal’s article, published before the 2017 vote on ‘facilitated’ naturalization of the third generation of immigrants in Switzerland, shows that the debate on how to structure the comparably restricted access to Swiss citizenship continues to captivate our readers, politicians, policymakers and civil society. Indeed, the Council of States discussed a parliamentary initiative on adjusting the legal measures to facilitate access to naturalization in Switzerland during its spring ’23 session. While the initiative was ultimately rejected, due to insufficient time to review the impact of the last legal modifications of 2018, the fact that it was again discussed underscores the political significance of Manatschal’s work.
Critical Reflections on the Reception of Ukrainian Refugees in Europe
Dario Mazzola’s blog post, which reached over 930 readers and became the third most-read blog contribution of 2022, examines why Ukrainian refugees received a relatively warm welcome in European countries compared to other groups of forced migrants. While Mazzola points to pre-existing connections between Ukraine and European countries, as a contributing factor, he also highlights aspects of structural racism that are explored more in Janine Dahinden’s blog article (see below). Mazzola notes that a Western fear of Russia and the clear delineation of one party as the aggressor and the other as the victim in the war also played a role in shaping the reception of Ukrainian refugees.
Janine Dahinden’s blog post, which received over 900 views and ranked fourth in readership, focuses on the structurally racist reception of Ukrainian refugees. Dahinden advocates for “solidarity with all refugees” and calls attention to the double standards in how forced migrants are received and perceived. While many European governments and societies have shown solidarity towards white Ukrainians, she observes a tendency to ‘other’ other groups of refugees, particularly the non-white forced migrants from African or Middle Eastern countries, as well as Afghanistan. She attributes this to postcolonial continuities that inform the European Asylum systems, as well as the global inequalities, and notions of Western supremacy that underlie perceptions of who is deserving of protection.
A Tried-and-Tested Platform for Global Readership
The range of topics covered in our blog’s most-read contributions in 2022 demonstrates its broad appeal. Our international readership has also grown significantly, with 16,280 readers in 2022 compared to 13,300 readers in the previous year. The majority of our readers are located in Switzerland (41%), followed by the US (16%), Germany (8%), the UK (4%), the Netherlands, and France (3% each), as well as many other countries. In 2023, we remain committed to our goal of providing a platform for diverse perspectives and scholarly exchange on issues related to migration and mobility. This includes scientific analyses, political and social debates, and more, catering to our diverse and international readership.
Aldina Camenisch is the Administrative Director and Scientific Officer of the nccr – on the move.
Inka Sayed is the Communication Officer of the nccr – on the move and the Editor of its blog.
