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Migration

4th Global Inclusive Interdisciplinary Conference

 

Saturday 9th July 2022 - Sunday 10th July 2022
Athens, Greece

This conference has been cancelled.
Although COVID-19 has disrupted all forms of human mobility, including the closing of borders, and the halting of travel worldwide, according to the UN International Migration 2020 Highlights, growth in the number of international migrants has been robust over the last two decades, reaching 281 million people living outside their country of origin in 2020, up from 173 million in 2000 and 221 million in 2010. According to the IOM, before the COVID-19 pandemic, international migrants, who made up 3.5 percent of the world’s population in 2019, contributed nearly 10 per cent of global GDP (roughly $ 6.7 trillion to global GDP). Moreover, according to the UNHCR, the persistence of extreme poverty in large areas of the world, the impacts of climate change, the continuation of internal conflicts, regional wars, and religious or sectarian inspired violence have forcibly displaced a record number of over 82.4 million people worldwide. At the same time, receiving and transit states keep closing their borders, forcing economic migrants and refugees to look for new routes and ways in search of a better life or a safe haven. Governments are struggling to balance their immigration and asylum policies between their obligations to uphold the fundamental human rights of migrants and the growing domestic pressures of xenophobic sentiments and nativist attitudes, including the increase in “white supremacist”, “far-right” or “extreme right-wing” groups around the world.

One thing is certain: international migrations will continue to increase and reshape the world as we know it. The way governments and societies decide to deal with the causes of migrations and their social, economic and political impacts will open new debates on redefining the existing international human rights instruments to protect the most vulnerable of our humanity.

Key Topics

Our fourth interdisciplinary Migrations conference seeks to build on the success of past events and forge a lasting network of professionals in all fields related to this topic. We aim to discuss and explore the main issues, pressing matters, and recent developments in this field of research and practice, to identify areas to be subsequently explored in further depth, and to generate collaborative action that will lead to real, lasting change in the way migration and migrants are perceived and approached in institutional and informal settings.

Some of the suggested issues to be approached include (but are not limited to):

  • The impacts of Covid-19 on migration –Covid-19 impacted the flow of regular migration, causing severe economic and social effects. However, remittances remained high. These impacts are still being measured, and it is of much interest to explore the methodologies and results from such studies. Added to the former, states closed borders causing refugees, and economic and survival migrants to look for more dangerous routes or remain stranded at borders in unbearable conditions. Covid-19 also made the work of those who assist refugees or those in a protracted situation very challenging, causing more profound humanitarian crises in refugee camps or transit routes.
  • Defining and measuring migration – identifying past, present, and new push-and-pull factors for migration, analyzing trends in migration, understanding the political economies of migration, defining categories of migration and migrants, presenting relevant data and instruments in migration studies.
  • The current refugee crises – refugee situations, struggles, profiles, stories, efforts at integration, international responses, conditions in refugee camps, requirements for receiving asylum, policies, best practices, international responsibilities, human rights issues, media coverage.
  • Policy and politics – migration policy trends in Western societies and worldwide, impacts and effectiveness of existing policies, the resurgence of xenophobia and nativism, centralized vs. decentralized policies, “immigration federalism,” geopolitical ramifications of national and international migration policies.
  • Legal and political aspects of migration – legal vs. illegal immigration, the criminalization and securitization of migration, national and international migration laws, legal provisions for crossing borders, obtaining residency or asylum, migrants’ rights in theory and practice, legal status of EU citizens in the post-Brexit UK, legality of US travel bans, new and old barriers to migration.
  • Smuggling and Human trafficking – definitions, international, regional, and domestic instruments combating smuggling and human trafficking, the political economies of human trafficking.
  • Climate change and migration – Natural disasters and forced migration, the need for regional and international regimes dealing with those forced to migrate as a result of climate change
  • Local responses to migration – attitudes towards refugees and economic migrants, social and political movements, debates and controversies based on immigration/emigration related issues, exclusion vs. inclusion, “sanctuary” policies, compassionate migration.
  • Global and local implications of migration – social, political, demographic, and economic impacts for sending and receiving countries, for the migrants themselves, and their host communities.
  • Sex, gender, and sexual orientation – the significance of these factors in the experience of the migrant. How is migration (regular and irregular) experienced by women, trans and non-binary individuals, and those identifying as queer during their migration journeys, resettlement, and integration process?
  • Narratives of displacement – migration stories, folklore, art, community building.
  • Migration and the media – depiction of refugees, migrants and migration in the media, the role of social media and new technologies in facilitating migration and maintaining transnational migrant networks, the role of the press in creating the “other” and increasing/defusing social tension between migrants and locals.
  • Looking into the future – scenarios for future trends in migration challenges for the future generations of today’s migrants, future challenges for the sending and receiving countries.
  • Professing in the Field of Migration – issues, hardships, frustrations, communication needs, big and small victories and bright, hopeful moments of professionals working towards the integration and aid of refugees or migrants in general, studying migration and migrants, drafting or applying migration policies or legislation.
  • The impacts of Covid-19 on migration –Covid-19 impacted the flow of regular migration, causing severe economic and social effects. However, remittances remained high. These impacts are still being measured, and it is of much interest to explore the methodologies and results from such studies. Added to the former, states closed borders causing refugees, and economic and survival migrants to look for more dangerous routes or remain stranded at borders in unbearable conditions. Covid-19 also made the work of those who assist refugees or those in a protracted situation very challenging, causing more profound humanitarian crises in refugee camps or transit routes.
  • Defining and measuring migration – identifying past, present, and new push-and-pull factors for migration, analyzing trends in migration, understanding the political economies of migration, defining categories of migration and migrants, presenting relevant data and instruments in migration studies.
  • The current refugee crises – refugee situations, struggles, profiles, stories, efforts at integration, international responses, conditions in refugee camps, requirements for receiving asylum, policies, best practices, international responsibilities, human rights issues, media coverage.
  • Policy and politics – migration policy trends in Western societies and worldwide, impacts and effectiveness of existing policies, the resurgence of xenophobia and nativism, centralized vs. decentralized policies, “immigration federalism,” geopolitical ramifications of national and international migration policies.
  • Legal and political aspects of migration – legal vs. illegal immigration, the criminalization and securitization of migration, national and international migration laws, legal provisions for crossing borders, obtaining residency or asylum, migrants’ rights in theory and practice, legal status of EU citizens in the post-Brexit UK, legality of US travel bans, new and old barriers to migration.
  • Smuggling and Human trafficking – definitions, international, regional, and domestic instruments combating smuggling and human trafficking, the political economies of human trafficking.
  • Climate change and migration – Natural disasters and forced migration, the need for regional and international regimes dealing with those forced to migrate as a result of climate change
  • Local responses to migration – attitudes towards refugees and economic migrants, social and political movements, debates and controversies based on immigration/emigration related issues, exclusion vs. inclusion, “sanctuary” policies, compassionate migration.
  • Global and local implications of migration – social, political, demographic, and economic impacts for sending and receiving countries, for the migrants themselves, and their host communities.
  • Sex, gender, and sexual orientation – the significance of these factors in the experience of the migrant. How is migration (regular and irregular) experienced by women, trans and non-binary individuals, and those identifying as queer during their migration journeys, resettlement, and integration process?
  • Narratives of displacement – migration stories, folklore, art, community building.
  • Migration and the media – depiction of refugees, migrants and migration in the media, the role of social media and new technologies in facilitating migration and maintaining transnational migrant networks, the role of the press in creating the “other” and increasing/defusing social tension between migrants and locals.
  • Looking into the future – scenarios for future trends in migration challenges for the future generations of today’s migrants, future challenges for the sending and receiving countries.
  • Professing in the Field of Migration – issues, hardships, frustrations, communication needs, big and small victories and bright, hopeful moments of professionals working towards the integration and aid of refugees or migrants in general, studying migration and migrants, drafting or applying migration policies or legislation.

What To Send

This interdisciplinary conference and collaborative networking event aim to bring together academics, professionals, practitioners, NGOs, voluntary sector workers, etc., in the context of a variety of formats: presentations, seminars, workshops, panels, performances, etc.

300-word reviews of your proposed contribution (paper abstracts, proposals for workshops, collaborative works or round tables, overviews of artistic projects, or any other relevant forms of participation you are interested in) should be submitted by Friday 11th February 2022

All submissions will be minimally double reviewed, under anonymous (blind) conditions, by an international panel drawn from the Project Advisory Team and the Advisory Board. In practice, our procedures usually entail that by the time a proposal is accepted, it will have been triple and quadruple reviewed.

You will be notified of the panel’s decision by Friday 25th February 2022

If your submission is accepted for the conference, a complete draft of your contribution should be submitted by Friday, 20th May 2022

Proposals may be in Word, PDF, RTF, or Notepad formats with the following information and in this order:
a) author(s), b) affiliation as you would like it to appear in the programme, c) email address, d) title of proposal, e) body of the proposal, f) up to 10 keywords.

Emails should be entitled:  Migrations Submission

Where To Send

Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the Organising Chair and the Project Administrator:

Dr. William Arrocha (Organising Chair): warrocha@miis.edu
Len Capuli (Project Administrator): athensmigrations@progressiveconnexions.net

Details and Information

 
Fees
Key Dates
Venue & Accommodation
Outcomes
Payment

Registration Fees

The Registration Fee is £275 and includes:

~ conference registration fee
~ online registration
~ online abstract and programme submissions
~ Book of Abstracts
~ Delegate Pack (online and physical)
~ Saturday coffee/tea on arrival
~ Saturday morning coffee and biscuits
~ Saturday lunch
~ Saturday afternoon tea and biscuits
~ Saturday evening wine and drinks reception
~ drinks in the conference room
~ Sunday morning coffee and biscuits
~ Sunday lunch
~ Sunday afternoon tea and biscuits
~ drinks in the conference room
~ participation in project output discussion session
~ discounted rates for any outputs emerging from the event
~ discounted rate for attendance at further Progressive Connexions activities and events

Calendar of time-lines and deadlines

Friday 11th February 2022
Abstract/Presentation submission

Friday 25th February 2022
Acceptance/Rejection notification

Friday 8th April 2022
Booking Form Submissions

by Monday 11th April 2022
Circulation of Draft Programme
Invoices issued

Friday 29th April 2022
Final date for payment

Friday 13th May 2022
Circulation of Revised Programme
Full draft of presentation to be submitted

Friday 3rd June 2022
Final programme to printing

The conference is being held at the Titania Hotel Athens

Situated in the centre of Athens, between Syntagma & Omonia squares and METRO stations, Panepistimio & Omonia

52, Panepistimiou 10678, Athens -Greece
Tel: +30.210-33.26.000 Fax: +30.210-33.00.700

We have reserved rooms for delegates at the conference hotel on favourable terms and conditions. On having a proposal accepted for presentation at the conference, and on the completion and submission of a booking form, a special booking form will be sent to you along with instructions on how to use it in order to access these terms.

Standard Room - Single Occupancy €120 per night including breakfast and all taxes
Standard Room - Double/Twin Person Occupancy €130 per night including breakfast and all taxes

Details will be sent to delegates on how to access these rates once receipt of the booking form has been confirmed.
Accommodation bookings are made directly with the hotel, not Progressive Connexions. All payments for accommodation are made directly to the hotel as well. A credit card will be required on booking.
You are free to find alternative accommodation. We are offering these arrangements as a convenience to folks who would like to be at the conference venue.

The conferences, meetings and events we organise are not single ‘one-off’ events. They are part of a continual stream of conversations, activities and projects which grow and evolve in different directions. At the conclusion of every meeting, the question needs to be considered: What happens next? After all, there is little personal, educational or professional benefit in gathering people together from around the world and sharing all sorts of fascinating conversations if nothing further is going to happen as a result!

The possible ranges of ‘outputs’ which can productively flow from our meetings is a dynamic response to the dialogues, issues and engagements that take place during the events themselves. And as our meetings are attended by folks who come from different backgrounds, contexts, professions and vocations, what people would like to see developed as a result of our time spent together will always be potentially diverse, fluid and appropriate to what took place.

One range of possible outputs involves publication as a way of continuing the work of a project. Where publishing is a possibility, it is directly referenced in the Call for Papers, Presentations and Participation. Other possible outputs may include, but are not limited to:
~ social media platforms such as Facebook pages and groups, blogs, wikis, Twitter, as vehicles for continuing dialogues, disseminating knowledge and information and bringing new people into the work of the project
~ reviews; reports; policy statements; position papers/statements; declarations of principles
~ proposals for meetings, workshops, courses, schools
~ collaboration gateways, platforms and media
~ personal and professional development opportunities: faculty development; mentoring programmes; cultural cruises; consultancies; summer schools; personal enrichment programmes

The range of outputs is dependent on how little or how much you would like to become involved. Don’t let the end of the meeting signal the end of your involvement with the project. Please get involved, bounce ideas around, think out loud – we’d love to hear about what you’d like to do and are always happy to talk about what is possible.

Payment Process
Participants must complete the online booking form by  Friday 18th March 2022 at the latest.
After the deadline has expired, an invoice will be drawn up and sent to you; the invoice will contain all the necessary information for you to pay by bank transfer, cheque, Paypal or credit card.
The invoice must be settled by Friday 29th April 2022

It is the responsibility of delegates to ensure that payment is made by this date. Failure to receive payment will result in your booking being cancelled.

Payment Methods
There are a number of ways payment can be made.

Cheque
Payment can be made by cheque, in GBP (£ sterling) only and must be drawn against a bank with headquarters in the United Kingdom. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Progressive Connexions’ and sent, with a copy of the booking form, to:

Dr Rob Fisher
Progressive Connexions
Priory House
149b Wroslyn Road
Freeland
Oxfordshire. OX29 8HR
United Kingdom

We regret we cannot and will not accept cheques made payable in currencies other than GBP Sterling.

Bank Transfer Payment may be made using bank transfer. There will be an option to pay in either GBP (£ Sterling) or Euro (€). Full details to enable a bank transfer are made available on your conference invoice. If paying by this method, you must agree to pay all charges at the sending and receiving banks.

By Invoice
You may request that an invoice be sent to you which you may forward to your institution. It is your responsibility to ensure that the invoice is paid before the payment deadline.

Online
Your invoice will include a link to pay through a secure and encrypted online payment system. Please click the link to use this method.

Credit Card
Payment may also be made using credit card. We cannot accept American Express or Discovery as a form of payment.

Paypal
Payment may also be made using Paypal. If paying by this method please send us the email account connected with your Paypal account and we will forward you a request for payment.

IMPORTANT
We strongly recommend that all delegates take out some form of travel or other insurance in relation to any and all travel arrangements or accommodation booked in regard to the conference. This should include cancellation insurance in the event of unforeseen or unexpected circumstances.

All fees are payable in advance. No delegate will be permitted entry to the conference if an invoice is still unpaid.

What’s so Special?

A fresh, friendly, dynamic format – at Progressive Connexions we are dedicated to breaking away from the stuffy, old-fashion conference formats, where endless presentations are read aloud off PowerPoints. We work to bring you an interactive format, where exchange of experience and information is alternated with captivating workshops, engaging debates and round tables, time set aside for getting to know each other and for discussing common future projects and initiatives, all in a warm, relaxed, egalitarian atmosphere.

 

A chance to network with international professionals – the beauty of our interdisciplinary events is that they bring together professionals from all over the world and from various fields of activity, all joined together by a shared passion. Not only will the exchange of experience, knowledge and stories be extremely valuable in itself, but we seek to create lasting, ever-growing communities around our projects, which will become a valuable resource for those belonging to them.

 

A chance to be part of constructing change – There is only one thing we love as much as promoting knowledge: promoting real, lasting social change by encouraging our participants to take collective action, under whichever form is most suited to their needs and expertise (policy proposals, measuring instruments, research projects, educational materials, etc.) We will support all such actions in the aftermath of the event as well, providing a platform for further discussions, advice from the experts on our Project Advisory Team and various other tools and intellectual resources, as needed.

 

An opportunity to discuss things that matter to you – Our events are not only about discussing how things work in the respective field, but also about how people work in that field – what are the struggles, problems and solutions professionals have found in their line of work, what are the areas where better communication among specialists is needed and how the interdisciplinary approach can help bridge those gaps and help provide answers to questions from specific areas of activity.

 

An unforgettable experience – When participating in a Progressive Connexions event, there is a good chance you will make some long-time friends. Our group sizes are intimate, our venues are comfortable and relaxing and our event locations are suited to the history and culture of the event.

Ethos

Progressive Connexions believes it is a mark of personal courtesy and professional respect to your colleagues that all delegates should attend for the full duration of the meeting. If you are unable to make this commitment, please do not submit an abstract or proposal for presentation.

 

Please note: Progressive Connexions is a not-for-profit network and we are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence, nor can we offer discounts off published rates and fees.

 

All enquiries should be sent to the project email: athensmigrations@progressiveconnexions.net

Further details and information can be found at the project web page:
https://www.progressiveconnexions.net/interdisciplinary-projects/cultures-and-societies/migrations/

Progressive Connexions is a not-for-profit network inspiring inclusive interdisciplinary research, publishing and collaboration