Asylum procedures are challenging, partly due to the diverse socio-cultural and linguistic backgrounds of all actors involved (such as applicants, officials, interpreters, and lawyers) and the interactions between them. Within these complexities, protection officers must assess the deeply personal stories of applicants against the situation in the country of origin and a strongly developed legal framework, to decide on their need of protection.
The UNPACK project integrates insights from four disciplines – linguistics, anthropology, psychology and law – to examine the lived experiences of those involved. Through in-depth ethnographic research of specific case studies and the broader organizational context, UNPACK seeks to gain a deeper understanding of the asylum procedure.
UNPACK is embedded in a unique co-creative collaboration – the first of its kind in Europe – with the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS), the Belgian authority responsible for deciding on applications for international protection.
This interuniversity research project is coordinated by Karel Arnaut (anthropology, KU Leuven), Ilse Derluyn (social work, UGent), Katrijn Maryns (applied linguistics, UGent) and Ellen Desmet (law, UGent). In the autumn of 2025, seven PhD positions in the different disciplines involved and one postdoctoral position (in law) will be advertised. Fieldwork at the CGRS will start as from January 2027.
With iBOF funding, the Flemish universities pool resources from their research funds to support frontier research.