Criminalisation of Humanitarianism

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In-Person

Date: November4,2025

Location: Aaron Burr Hall, Princeton University, United States

<a href="https://anthropology.princeton.edu/events/criminalisation-humanitarianism-response-so-called-european-migration-crisis" class="btn btn-outline-primary btn-sm w-100" target="_blank">Visit event page</a>

Criminalisation of Humanitarianism: A Response to the So-Called European Migration Crisis Seán Binder is a criminal lawyer, in 2017/18, he was a search and rescue volunteer in Greece. He was arrested for his humanitarian work and spent 106 days in pre-trial detention. The charges against him include facilitation of illegal entry, money laundering, and being part of a criminal organization. In December, he faces trial and a possible 20-year sentence. The Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights has warned that “trials like this are deeply concerning because they criminalize life-saving work and set a dangerous precedent.”

Participants & Organizers

Princeton University Department of Anthropology(Organizer, Host)

<a href="https://anthropology.princeton.edu/" class="small text-muted">https://anthropology.princeton.edu/</a>

We take an interpretive approach to the study of culture - an approach that requires intensive ethnographic fieldwork, deep engagement with critical social theories, and historical analysis. In addition to teaching foundational texts, our department is interested in conceptual innovations in the use and organization of evidence and modes of ethical engagement. Our department specializes in Socio-Cultural Anthropology, but we also offer undergraduate courses in biological anthropology, including evolution, epigenetics, adaptation, race, forensics and death.