A house is not a home: Aspects of peri-urban locations of Norwegian asylum reception centres 2015-2016

In 2016 a substantial number of asylum reception centres (ARCs) were located in so-called peri-urban landscapes across Norway. Location, however, is rarely communicated as critical for asylum reception centres in Norway. This is the main finding in our interdisciplinary study of the relationship between the geographical location of ARCs, the potential wellbeing of asylum seekers and the coverage of accomodation issues in the media. The key objective of this study is to investigate location as a parameter in how asylum seekers engage in their temporary neighborhood/community and its importance in avoiding hostileothering processes. While peri-urban locations do not in themselves equal bad living standards, location surely influences the practical possibilities to participate in the host community. Based on our findings, this paper identifies key dilemmas and challenges related to this field where public and political discourse intertwine with the physical realities of regional urban space. As such, the study serves as a lens in order to study aspects of peri-urban conditions such as temporality, sense of place and community.