The discussion will address the limits and contradictions posed by the ideal of Europe as a place of refuge in practical, political, and moral terms. In 2015 the immigration of refugee seekers in Europe reached a high point, which was often discussed as a "refugee crisis." The plenary discussion will focus on the developments as an opportunity to think about the borders of Europe as a political project that, on the one hand, propagates human rights, liberal democracy, and equality principles while on the other hand, through its restrictive border regime creates and tolerates massive exclusion, inequality, and discrimination. Presentations will be made by Alessandro Monsutti (Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland), Heath Cabot (University of Pittsburgh, U.S.A.), and Žiga Podgornik-Jakil (Freie Universität Berlin). These will be followed by a discussion with the audience.

The public discussion will kick off the conference of the German Anthropological Society. Since 2015 the society board has been located in the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology at Freie Universität Berlin.