Stefan Millar – Are refugee camps states of exception or encamped states?

This month we were delighted to be joined by a colleague from Social and Cultural Anthropology at University of Helsinki. Stefan Millar is a Social Anthropologist who specializes in the state, migration, colonialism, and infrastructures. Stefan is currently a post-doctoral researcher at the Centre of Excellence in Research on Ageing and Care. Our conversation focused most directly on Stefan’s PhD research, which examined the role of the state in the context of Kakuma Refugee Camp in Northern Kenya. Stefan has focused on the state and infrastructures within the space of the refugee camp. Stefan gives us insight into his personal trajectory and how he got interested in the long durée implications of colonialism. In his current work in Kenya, he is looking at urban infrastructures that refugees create to mitigate the end of aid (US Aid and the withdrawal of European aid), especially in relation to food and water. Stefan is interested in how people navigate this context and what alternatives they develop to continue surviving under the conditions of redistribution of aid. On the theoretical side, we talked extensively about Stefan’s critique of Giorgio Agamben’s state of exception. Join us for this layered and exciting conversation!

Interested to learn more about Stefan’s work? https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/people/people-finder/stefan-millar-9472907 

Want to read Stefan’s PhD dissertation? https://researchportal.helsinki.fi/files/254098602/1._EncampedStatesMillar.pdf 

KANERE, Kakuma based journalism:https://kanere.org/about-kakuma-refugee-camp/

KRIN, network for Kakuma based refugee-led organizations:https://reframe.network/rlo/kakuma-kalobeyei-refugee-led-initiatives-kkrin