Title of the doctoral project
L-hrig as an Emic and Analytical Lens on Illegalised Migration and Border Violence
In my dissertation, I explore the intricate relationship between "l-hrig" (the act of clandestine migration), as an emic concept understood and practiced by illegalised migrants, and the diverse forms of border violence(s) they experience within the European border regime. Departing from a primary focus on predefined categories of violence, I explain how individuals who engage in l-hrig, known as harraga, conceptualize their mobility, their interactions with border regimes, and what they identify as "difficult" and "harmful" beyond physical violence. By centering the emic perspective of harraga and employing "l-hrig" as an analytical lens, I provide a nuanced understanding of how the act of "burning borders" is intertwined with the experience and understanding of various forms of violence, both visible and invisible, throughout their migration journey. This approach moves beyond solely focusing on the impact of violence on migrants to understanding how their self-defined act of mobility shapes their encounter with and
interpretation of violence. Further, I introduce the emic concept of “l-hrig” as a bottom-up approach for understanding migration and mobility beyond legalistic, state-centred and Eurocentric perspectives which also helps to grasp the historical and ongoing colonial legacies that shape the experiences of the harraga and their positioning within the European border regime.
Contact: joma.thome@pm.me
Curriculum Vitae:
Academic:
- 2022-2026 (planned): PhD in Social Sciences at the FGCSS, Fulda University.
- 2019-2022: MA in Human Rights in Politics, Law and Society. University of Applied Sciences Fulda.
- 2021-2022: Semester abroad in M.A. Social Work with Refugees. German-Jordanian University (Jordan).
- 2018-2019: BA of Honours in Outdoor Education. Atlantic Technological University (Ireland).
- 2016-2017: Two semesters abroad at Universitat d'Alacant (Spain).
- 2014-2016: Ordinary BA in Adventure Tourism Management. Munster Technological University (Ireland).
Work:
- 2024-present: Lecturer at the Department of Social and Cultural Sciences, Fulda University
- 2021-2023: Editorial assistant for spw magazine.
- 2020-present: Co-founder and co-coordinator of the volunteer project Mampferando.
- 2020: Internship at the EU Parliament
Publications:
Thomé, Joma. 2025 (Forthcoming). Taking Terrain Away: How Illegalised Migrants Experience and Counteract Technologies of Mobility Control at the Bosnian-Croatian Border. Special issue STS MIGTEC. NKUA Press: Athens.
Time Frame of the PhD Project: period from 10/2022 to 10/2026
Auszeichnungen:
- Promotionsstipendium Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes
- Promotionsanschubförderung der Hochschule Fulda, März 2022-Mai 2022
- Deutschlandstipendium 2020-2021
- Ehrenamtspreis Engagement Hoch Zehn im Rahmen des Deutschlandstipendiums
- Wuppertaler Ehrenbürgerin
- Wuppertaler Heimatpreis
- Academic Achievement Award (beste Bachelor-Absolventin)
Erstbetreuerin
