The Belgrade ‘Campscape’: Refugee Spatialities, Mobilities and Migration Corridor Geographies

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines the institutional and makeshift refugee geographies of Belgrade, using Diana Martin’s concept of ‘campscape’. It argues for the importance of this concept as a lens through which the complex relationship between the presence of refugees, camps and the city may be analysed. Accordingly, it takes into consideration key refugee spaces related to the role played by Belgrade as a migration hub along the so-called Balkan Route: institutional and makeshift camps, together with spaces associated with civil society and humanitarian support. After reviewing the key literature, the paper presents three sections that explore Belgrade’s distinctive campscape by analysing its (1) spatialities, (2) mobilities and (3) institutional geographies. The article concludes by claiming that the concept of campscape, when applied to a refugee mobility hub like the one developed in Belgrade since 2015, may be useful for illustrating the endlessly morphing refugee geographies of a well-established informal migration corridor.