Going consistently every year to Ethiopia between 2004 and 2020, and visiting the University of Addis Abeba and Mek’ele was a great experience.

As a consequence a survey and in-depth interviews were arranged in the AdMiGov project in Ethiopia in 2021. Publications are still on the way.

Before that this research interest in refugees and the Horn of Africa has led to several publications. For some of this research funding was arranged with the Ministry of Justice, while some of  this research took place without funders in Ethiopia.

Favorite publications on this subject are:

    • Heelsum, A. van (2016) ‘Why migration will continue: aspirations and capabilities of Syrians and Ethiopians with different educational backgrounds’, Ethnic and Racial Studies Review 39 (9) 3001-3009, DOI:10.1080/01419870.2016.1159711.
    • Kassaye, A., I. Ashur, I. & A. van Heelsum (2016) ‘The relationship between media discourses and experiences of belonging: Dutch Somali perspectives’, Ethnicities 16 (5),  DOI: 10.1177/1468796816653627.

 

Other output:

  • Heelsum, A. van (Accepted/In press) ‘Ethiopia as a transit country?’ , in: Proceedings ICES20 : 20th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies in Mek’ele.
  • Heelsum, A. van (2020) ‘Book Review of “The Big Gamble. The Migration of Eritreans to Europe” by Milena Belloni University of California Press (2019)’, International Migration 58 (3) 267-268, DOI:10.1111/imig.12725

Projects with funding:

Somalis in the Netherlands (2010-2015)

Researchers: Anja van Heelsum (commissioned by: Ministry of VROM), additional data gathered in 2015 by Ibtisaam Ashur.

This project focusses on the Somali community in the Netherlands. Simlar basic data as in the earlier project on African groups below are gathered, but more attention goes to the way in which Somali’s interpret Islam, the high mobility of Somali’s and a few specific characteristics of the Somali community like qat use, genital mutilation, and single mother families. The Somali part of the project will lead also to an English publication.

Publications

  • Kassaye, A., I. Ashur, I. & A. van Heelsum (2016) ‘The relationship between media discourses and experiences of belonging: Dutch Somali perspectives’, Ethnicities 16 (5) 773-797, DOI: 10.1177/1468796816653627.
  • Heelsum, A. (2011) Somaliers in Nederland, profiel 2011, Den Haag: Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijkrelaties.
  • Heelsum, A. (2011) Why Somali’s move, an investigation into migratory processes among Somalis, Paper presented on the 4th European Conference on African Studies, 15-18 July 2011 in Upsala, Sweden (panel 98) (download).
  • van Heelsum, A. (2005) ‘Book Review of: D.J. Griffiths (2002) Somali and Kurdish refugees in London. New identities in the diaspora’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 31(2), 423-424.

 

African immigrants in the Netherlands, a study on Angolans, Congolese, Ethiopians, Eritreans, Nigerians and Sudanese (2004-2006)

Researchers: Anja van Heelsum and Thomas Hessels, DCIM/Ministry of Justice (Commissioned by: DCIM/ Ministry of Justice)
The first project (2004-2006) was an exploration of the characteristic of African communities in the Netherlands. It started with gathering basic demographic information on Ethiopians, Eritreans, Congolese, Nigerians, Sudanese and Angolans. Furthermore the project focused on civic community and organisational networks of these communities.

A second part (2010-1011) focusses on the Somali community in the Netherlands. Simlar basic data are gathered, but more attention goes to the way in which Somali’s interpret Islam, the high mobility of Somali’s and a few specific characteristics of the Somali community like qat use, genital mutilation, and single mother families. The Somali part of the project will lead also to an English publication.

Publications and papers

  • Heelsum, A. van & T. Hessels (2006) Afrikanen uit Angola, DR Congo, Ethiopië, Eritrea, Nigeria en Sudan in Nederland, een profiel, Den Haag: Ministerie van Justitie (download).
  • Heelsum, A. van (2005) Afrikanen in Nederland, Bevolkingstrends , 53 (3) 83-90
  • Heelsum, A. van (2006), Six African groups in the Netherland, paper, Amsterdam: IMES (download).
  • Heelsum, A. van (2007), African associations in the Netherlands, presented at ‘The European Conference on African Studies 2007’ (ECAS) 11-14 July 2007 in Leiden (download).