The Syrian diaspora in London through the transnational lens: a distinctive contribution to contemporary public space and citizenship

Abstract

Despite cyclical attempts to depict migratory flows as extraordinary, migration has always had a place in human history. Considering the magnitude of human mobility across borders, the management of migrant citizens adopted by affluent Western economies appears both inappropriate and fuelled by panic. Assuming the contemporary time-space compression, the re-articulation of orientalism and neocolonial enterprises and the increasing popular discontent towards renewed exclusionary logic, the Syrian diaspora proves to be a crucial interlocutor to understand patterns of transformation and anticipate new spaces of citizenship. Through Syrians’ first-hand experience we will try to analyze the Syrian diaspora in the UK beyond the lexicon of humanitarian assistance. A transnational approach and a qualitative, intersectional methodology have been employed to gather relevant information in regard to Syrians’ migratory experience, with a focus on their activities in the public space. Ultimately Syrians’ accounts will provide a rich, indispensable viewpoint to all-encompassing issues such as human mobility, aesthetics, public space and citizenship.