Understanding and promoting the social acceptability of new reception facilities for asylum seekers
The aim of this research is to identify the conditions that are (or are not) conducive to social acceptance when setting up new reception facilities for asylum seekers
Context, humanitarian and social issues and challenges
In response to the increase in the number of asylum seekers, the Ministry of the Interior doubled the number of reception centres in 2015. The implementation of the National Reception System (DNA) has been extended to rural and peri-urban areas in order to improve the distribution of reception facilities across the country. The increase in the number of places and the diversification of their location, including municipalities that were previously remote, has provoked strong reactions from the local population.
Reactions to the opening of new facilities have ranged from expressions of solidarity to rejection. These two high-profile extremes obscure the fact that a large proportion of the population has little opinion on these issues. Between these two extremes, therefore, there is a wide range of opinion that needs to be considered along a continuum rather than as part of a binary divide. The issue of the acceptability of childcare facilities is therefore a complex one. The literature suggests that the factors influencing acceptability are demographic, historical, social, economic, cultural and political.
On the basis of the research that has already been carried out, we can say that the determinants that influence the social acceptance of a new centre stem from characteristics that are specific to the area, others that are related to the new centre and the process of establishing it, and finally individual factors that help to shape residents’ perceptions.
We therefore need to identify these characteristics and individual factors. In this way, this research contributes to the development of tools that can be used by social actors to improve the social acceptance of new structures and promote their integration into local dynamics.
What determines the social acceptance of new childcare facilities?
Which levers and actors can be mobilised to create the right conditions for the establishment of these facilities?
Scope and methodology
In order to identify the territorial, institutional and individual determinants of the establishment of new reception facilities for asylum seekers, the methodology used starts with the collection of socio-demographic data and a quantitative survey of existing facilities. A case study was then carried out by selecting three reception facilities. It is based on semi-directive interviews with various stakeholders, such as centre managers, staff, volunteers, local authorities, associations and people living near the centres. Based on the empirical findings of this multi-site ethnography, an analysis of these determinants will identify strategies for improving the social acceptability of reception facilities.
The scientific benefits of the research for humanitarian and social actors
This research will be useful to humanitarian and social actors in a number of ways. The research aims to gain a better understanding of the factors involved in the social acceptability of new reception facilities. By identifying the barriers and levers to the acceptance of migrant populations, the results will enable social and humanitarian actors to design more effective and appropriate communication campaigns, thereby reducing prejudice. They will also provide a solid basis for developing effective interventions with local authorities and responding to the fears of local residents.
In short, the proposed research offers significant benefits to social and humanitarian actors by providing them with new tools and knowledge to improve the reception, integration and harmonious coexistence of asylum seekers in the area.
Scientifically, this project adds new empirical data to the existing literature on social acceptance. By exploring the perceptions and attitudes of local communities towards asylum seekers, it contributes to a better understanding of the social dynamics and mechanisms of acceptance or rejection. This deeper understanding enriches social anthropological research on integration and multicultural cohabitation.
Furthermore, the issue of social acceptance of asylum seekers is of crucial importance in the current context of intense migratory flows and growing social tensions. The project responds to an urgent need to better understand how to promote social cohesion and reduce prejudice. By providing answers based on concrete data, the research will contribute to reflection on sustainable and effective solutions to these contemporary challenges.
Biography
Isabelle Wilhelm holds a PhD in Anthropology. Her thesis focused on the long-term relationship between former refugees – Laotian exiles who arrived in France after 1975 – and their country of origin. This thesis is based on a multi-site ethnographic fieldwork and an analysis of the data collected through the prism of the anthropology of giving. Prior to her academic career, she worked as a specialist teacher and then as a lawyer in several reception centres for asylum seekers and in a detention center.