Migration within the European Union (EU) is becoming a complex phenomenon driven by various social, political, economic, and environmental causes. While migration is an ordinary event, vulnerable groups such as asylum seekers, refugees and irregular migrants often face significant hardships and risks throughout their journey. In recent years, the EU has grappled with unprecedented pressure of irregular migrants in its external borders, leading to strict border controls and externalisation of migration management with third-world countries. With this, there is severe stress in housing, healthcare, labour markets, and education in individual countries with the sudden increase in population with diverse cultural backgrounds. Discrimination, xenophobia, and political shifts towards far-right ideologies have also posed challenges to the humane treatment of these vulnerable groups. This raises questions about why the E.U. does not want to accept these communities despite its ageing and shrinking society.

This project explores the consequences of migration in the EU, with a particular focus on refugees and asylum seekers. Beginning with an analysis of EU migration policies and attitudes towards refugees, the project focuses on the Netherlands, examining its asylum-seeking process amidst political shifts. The research then aims to imagine the inclusion and integration of refugees living in isolated temporary asylum shelters in cities, using case studies and literature to identify spatial and non-spatial aspects crucial for fostering a sense of comfort and belonging in a new country. By proposing spatial strategies and policies to create opportunities for stronger socio-cultural connections in cities of the Netherlands, the project aims to facilitate stronger bonds between refugees and native citizens. Through a combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches, it seeks to reshape formal regulated interactions, fostering informal settings for everyday interactions. The project's outcomes are evaluated to assess its impact on forming a new inclusive society.
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Nature is declining rapidly. Recent research connected the natural decline with the intensive and monocultural way of dairy agriculture that is happening in North-Western Europe. As a result farmers are forced to stop and are left without a vision for their future. A change in the practice of dairy farming is necessary to reach the goals of the European Green Deal, but the current regulations fail to arch the missing link for providing a just transition. This report aims to bridge this gap by providing bottom-up interventions and a clear top-down vision and answer the question: “How can the goals of the European Green Deal be achieved in a fair way to facilitate the transition towards sustainable dairy farming in the non-urban area in N-W Europe?”

The studies in this report discusses a multiscalar strategy that focuses on farmers cooperating, upscaling of regenerative farming practices, crop-livestock rotation and localizing waste and resource loops. This transformation of the farming practice is grounded by the government establishing policies and defining green corridors and natural structures that connect natura 2000 areas. This will set the ground for farmers to join the provided pattern game. In the strategy a pilot project, De Kooi, will be used to convince farmers the transition is beneficial.

Considering the profession's vast environmental, social, and economic impacts, a balance between preserving nature and progressive dairy farming techniques is established by providing farmers with a vision for their future while giving biodiversity space to thrive. ... Read more