Good Refugees, Bad Refugees: Borders and Belonging in Southeast Europe

Who gets to be a “good” refugee, and who is cast as a threat? What determines whether displaced people are welcomed, tolerated, or turned away? Southeast Europe, historically a crossroads of migration, displacement, and contested national identities, offers a fascinating lens through which to examine these questions.

Drawing on Dr. Mandic's forthcoming book, Bad Refugees: Geopolitics, Stigma and Forced Migration, this talk explores how nationality, ethnicity, geopolitical interests, and public narratives shape distinctions between “deserving” and “undeserving” refugees with particular attention to Southeast Europe.

Speaker

Danilo Mandić, Associate Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Harvard University

Moderator

Anastasija Mladenovska, M.A. Candidate, Regional Studies: Russia, Eastern Europe & Central Asia, Harvard University