RDV: Navigating institutional borders: young refugees’ access to post-15 education in Greece

In this seminar, Dr. Lucy Hunt addresses the social consequences of the refugee crisis in Greece, and particularly how state responses to increased migration flows have shaped young refugees’ (aged 15–25) (re-)engagement with post-15 learning opportunities upon arrival in the country. It argues that three key ‘institutional bordering’ practices - namely, the bordering of space (via encampment), time (via enforced waiting), and public services (via administrative barriers) - have played central roles in young refugees’ (re-)engagement with post-15 education; often causing their dreams to be diverted or downgraded. However, with determination and the support of willing gatekeepers, refugee youth found ways to (re)construct adapted learning trajectories despite, and in response to, these arrival challenges.