Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Europe’s deadly border theatre is back

Marianna Karakoulaki @mariannakarakoulaki.com · Jul 30

Europe is doubling down on cruelty. In my latest article for @aljazeera.com, I break down how Greece and the UK’s migration plans are racist, dehumanising, and doomed to fail. Deterrence doesn’t stop migration — it just spreads suffering.

👉 aljazeera.com/opinions/202...

The UK and Greece are recycling racist border policies of the past decade and pretending they’ll work this time.

aljazeera.com

The Thinking Global Podcast Archives – E-International Relations

Reposted by Marianna Karakoulaki

BISA - British International Studies Association @mybisa.bsky.social · Jul 22

🎙️ @E_IR X #BISA2025 podcasts 🎙️

With Kieran O’ Meara and @faloulah.bsky.social speaking to :
@bleiker.bsky.social @nickcaddick.bsky.social @davidjwilcox.bsky.social @errichiello.bsky.social @jasonralph.bsky.social and many more! 🎉

🎧 listen now -

If you like discussion of heavy questions in a light-hearted atmosphere with the big names from the world of International Relations, join Kieran O’Meara and the E-International Relations podcast…

*Winner of the International Political Sociology book award for 2023*What does it mean when humanitarianism is the response to death, injury and suffering at the border? This book interrogates the pol...

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Reposted by Marianna Karakoulaki

BISA - British International Studies Association @mybisa.bsky.social · Jul 17

🌟 July newsletter! 🌟
inc:
- BISA 2025 prize winners announced! 🎉
- Early-Career @bisa-ecpwg.bsky.social Politics Paper Prize - nominate now! 🌎
- @e-international.bsky.social x BISA: podcast episodes from #BISA2025 in Belfast 🎙️
read now - buff.ly/UY2SEp6

@faloulah.bsky.social
@gnobisa.bsky.social

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Reposted by Marianna Karakoulaki

Polly Pallister-Wilkins @pollypw.bsky.social · Jul 11

Anyway I documented and analysed all of this in detail in my @versobooks.bsky.social book.

Which is to say I've been thinking and working on the politics and impacts of this for more than a decade and I know what I'm talking about.

www.versobooks.com/products/277...

Humanitarian Borders

www.versobooks.com

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Reposted by Marianna Karakoulaki

Polly Pallister-Wilkins @pollypw.bsky.social · Jul 11

The Labour government are desperate to spin the ‘we can do nothing it’s the criminal gangs’ argument because they think it absolves them of their racist inhumanity.

It doesn’t.

The gangs are a symptom of that racist inhumanity.

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Reposted by Marianna Karakoulaki

Polly Pallister-Wilkins @pollypw.bsky.social · Jul 11

The fucking chutzpah of this woman.

I watched her get emotional on a beach in Lesvos in 2015 as boats arrived.

She knows exactly how it works.

So what was it Yvette fake tears back in 2015 or did you sell your soul for power?

Saul Staniforth @saulstaniforth.bsky.social · Jul 11

Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, says that providing a safe route won't stop people getting on a boat

If refugees have a safe route why will they need to get on a boat? #GMB

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Marianna Karakoulaki @mariannakarakoulaki.com · Jul 11

#Greece 's decision to suspend asylum claims for asylum seekers arriving from North Africa (central Mediterranean route) violates international law and should not be seen in isolation from the EU's migration policies. I spoke to Inside Story about this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdDE... #RefugeesGR

Is suspending asylum requests right response to curb illegal immigration to Greece? | Inside Story

YouTube video by Al Jazeera English

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Marianna Karakoulaki

Hannah Lewis @hannahjlewis.bsky.social · Jul 11

#Newsnight I heard figures who appear capable of reading research claim no #IDcards & 'liberal' UK economy with a grey labour market pulls ppl to claim asylum. As someone who has focused for 20 years on evidencing labour market exploitation of asylum seekers, I must categorically refute these claims

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · Jul 11

Difficult to understand obsession - on part of both French and UK media - with "illegal working" as a "pull factor."

No systematic data/stats (AFAIK) but both anecdote and HO releases suggest small boat arrivals only a small % of those found working illegally.

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Why is it still so easy for illegal migrants to work in Britain?

President Macron has a point — failure to enforce existing rules over hiring and a booming gig economy offer opportunities not available elsewhere in Europe

www.thetimes.com

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Reposted by Marianna Karakoulaki

Pavlos Roufos @proufos.bsky.social · May 29

The Conference of Socialist Economists (CSE) and the Capital & Class Midlands Groups is organising an annual workshop in the memory of Paula Schwevers with a brilliant panel. Their call for papers can be found here: csemidlands.wordpress.com/2025/05/28/c...

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Reposted by Marianna Karakoulaki

BISA - British International Studies Association @mybisa.bsky.social · Jul 1

@e-international.bsky.social podcast @ #BISA2025 🎉

All 4 episodes of the E-IR podcasts recorded with us in Belfast have now been uploaded including interviews with
@bleiker.bsky.social and @nickcaddick.bsky.social 🌟

🎧 Listen here - buff.ly/JvVrHsD

@faloulah.bsky.social

E-IRxBISA Archives – E-International Relations

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Reposted by Marianna Karakoulaki

BISA - British International Studies Association @mybisa.bsky.social · Jun 28

@e-international.bsky.social podcast @ #BISA2025 🎉

The 4 E-IR podcasts recorded with us in Belfast have now been uploaded and you can listen to them all at the link down below - a huge thank you to the whole team 🌟

🎧 Listen here - buff.ly/JvVrHsD

@faloulah.bsky.social
@kieranomeara.bsky.social

Roland Bleiker, the Keynote Speaker of the BISA Conference 2025, speaks about emotions and visuality in international politics, the conference, advice to young scholars and more.

E-IR x BISA: Roland Bleiker on Emotions, Visuality and International Politics

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Reposted by Marianna Karakoulaki

Roland Bleiker @bleiker.bsky.social · Jun 25

It has been a pleasure to talk to @faloulah.bsky.social from e-ir at the recent @mybisa.bsky.social conference in Belfast. Thanks, Marianna.

Marianna Karakoulaki @mariannakarakoulaki.com · Jun 25

I've had the chance to interview @bleiker.bsky.social for @e-international.bsky.social's podcast during our #BISA2025 coverage. R. Bleiker's work on emotions and visual politics has changed IR in many ways; hearing him talk about it live was a privilege.
📻: www.e-ir.info/2025/06/24/e...

Roland Bleiker, the Keynote Speaker of the BISA Conference 2025, speaks about emotions and visuality in international politics, the conference, advice to young scholars and more.

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Marianna Karakoulaki @mariannakarakoulaki.com · Jun 25

Favourite moment from the interview was the advice @bleiker.bsky.social gives to researchers: "Follow your passions. Don't do research because people tell you this topic is sexy and it'll be good, but follow your instincts, follow your passions"

E-IR x BISA: Roland Bleiker on Emotions, Visuality and International Politics

Marianna Karakoulaki @mariannakarakoulaki.com · Jun 25

I've had the chance to interview @bleiker.bsky.social for @e-international.bsky.social's podcast during our #BISA2025 coverage. R. Bleiker's work on emotions and visual politics has changed IR in many ways; hearing him talk about it live was a privilege.
📻: www.e-ir.info/2025/06/24/e...

Roland Bleiker, the Keynote Speaker of the BISA Conference 2025, speaks about emotions and visuality in international politics, the conference, advice to young scholars and more.

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Reposted by Marianna Karakoulaki

Kieran O’Meara @kieranomeara.bsky.social · Jun 16

This week, join @faloulah.bsky.social and myself of @e-international.bsky.social‬ recording LIVE from the @mybisa.bsky.social conference in Belfast. If you’re attending, come find us so we can record you and bring your research to our global listenership! #BISA2025

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Marianna Karakoulaki @mariannakarakoulaki.com · Jun 13

We’ve teamed up with @mybisa.bsky.social to bring #BISA2025 to those who cannot join in Belfast! We’ll be live recording @e-internationa.bsky.social’s Thinking Global podcast directly from Belfast! If you’re there, find us at the exhibition all and come, talk to us about your research!

BISA - British International Studies Association @mybisa.bsky.social · Jun 12

Thinking Global, @e-international.bsky.social‬ podcast, is recording at #BISA2025 🎙️

Join @kieranomeara.bsky.social‬ @faloulah.bsky.social‬ & others to share your research, thoughts and impressions directly from #BISA2025! 🎉

Learn more! 👉 buff.ly/mHkyijl

@bisasee.bsky.social
@ipegbisa.bsky.social

Reposted by Marianna Karakoulaki

BISA - British International Studies Association @mybisa.bsky.social · Jun 12

Thinking Global, @e-international.bsky.social‬ podcast, is recording at #BISA2025 🎙️

Join @kieranomeara.bsky.social‬ @faloulah.bsky.social‬ & others to share your research, thoughts and impressions directly from #BISA2025! 🎉

Learn more! 👉 buff.ly/mHkyijl

@bisasee.bsky.social
@ipegbisa.bsky.social

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Marianna Karakoulaki @mariannakarakoulaki.com · Jun 11

"[U]ndermining fascist rhetoric online can help us reclaim space, thwart discussions that are dominated by hate, and create loopholes in the logic of global capitalism."
My later article for a new zine: provocat.org?page_id=195

Donald Trump’s War on Global Development

Reposted by Marianna Karakoulaki

E-International Relations @e-international.bsky.social · Jun 2

New article – Donald Trump’s War on Global Development by Marianna Karakoulaki, Mia Hyun, Scarlet Vass, and Thomas Bobo

Trump’s policies highlight a far-right backwardness that impacts the global development world exponentially; whether those in power can sustain the impacts is to be seen.

The 2025 E-International Relations Article Award – E-International Relations

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Reposted by Marianna Karakoulaki

E-International Relations @e-international.bsky.social · Jun 2

📢 PhD/Masters students & ECRs in IR—submit to the 2025 E-IR Article Award! Win £1500 in books & get published. Deadline: 7 Sept. 🌍✍️

🔗 www.e-ir.info/award/

#EIRArticleAward #PhDLife #AcademicTwitter #InternationalRelations

The prize for the 2025 Article Award is publication on E-International Relations and £1500 (GBP) in scholarly books and subscriptions, provided courtesy of our sponsors. Each year, E-International…

Donald Trump’s War on Global Development

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Marianna Karakoulaki @mariannakarakoulaki.com · Jun 1

#Trump's controversial policies, straight out of a far-right initiative, #Project2025 have impacted the global architecture of aid.

Mia Hyun, Scarlet Vass, Thomas Bobo and I take dive deep into these changes for our latest article on
@e-international.bsky.social

👉 www.e-ir.info/2025/05/31/d...

Trump’s policies highlight a far-right backwardness that impacts the global development world exponentially; whether those in power can sustain the impacts is to be seen.

E-International Relations at BISA 2025

Reposted by Marianna Karakoulaki

BISA - British International Studies Association @mybisa.bsky.social · May 30

Thinking Global, @e-international.bsky.social‬ podcast, is recording and broadcasting at #BISA2025 🎙️

Join @kieranomeara.bsky.social‬ ‪ @faloulah.bsky.social‬ & others to share your research, thoughts and impressions direct from the conference to a global audience! 🎉

Learn more! 👉 buff.ly/2dBfZ4R

E-International Relations will be attending the 2025 British International Studies Association (BISA) Conference in Belfast and recording for our podcast.

E-International Relations at BISA 2025

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Reposted by Marianna Karakoulaki

E-International Relations @e-international.bsky.social · Apr 22

We’re excited to announce that we will be attending #BISA2025 @mybisa.bsky.social Conference in Belfast from 17–20 June! This will be first time E-IR will be in a face to face event represented by TWO of our Directors!

Read more about our plans and get in touch! www.e-ir.info/2025/04/22/e...

E-International Relations will be attending the 2025 British International Studies Association (BISA) Conference in Belfast and recording for our podcast.