Please note this event will take place at 15:00-19:00 GMT+1 / 16:00-20:00 CET at CaixaForum, Paseo del Prado 36, Madrid, with a networking reception from 20:00 CET.
Immigration and migration management have been controversial topics across Europe for many years. Hostile rhetoric around refugees and other migrants has escalated and the subject has become deeply politicized. Negative rhetoric has gone hand in hand with more regressive policies which are often both costly and ineffective. However, political narratives around immigration are often a far cry from the European public’s attitudes and policy preferences.
Countries in southern Europe are particularly implicated in migration debates, given their geographic position. Border control has become increasingly securitised and in the spirit of ‘deterrence’ pushbacks of migrants arriving by sea in southern Europe have become more common, with severe consequences.
At the same time, southern European countries are an important labor mobility destination, with some sectors of their labor markets strongly dependent on migrant labor. Establishing legal pathways for migration is particularly relevant in the context of the significant demographic challenges Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece are facing, with some of the most rapidly aging populations in Europe. However, there’s an alarming lack of ideas on how to secure safe, regular and ordered migration channels for the increasing number of workers required by the countries’ labor markets.
Many researchers, national and local organizations, and activists are working to counter the narrative of the far right and to promote societies of welcome, alongside advocacy to influence the EU and its member states to adopt more intelligent and humane migration and asylum policies. This event will feature two panel discussions looking in turn at public attitudes and political narratives around migration and policy reforms across southern Europe. It will provide a comparative view of trends in the region and enable exchange between researchers and practitioners working to counter polarising narratives around migration and for more constructive migration policy reforms.
How to register:
To register to attend the event either in person in Madrid or online, fill out either this form (in Spanish) or this form (in English). Clicking the 'Register here!' button below will also take you to the English form.
Speakers:
- Aida Alami; freelance journalist and reporter
- Thimbo Samb; actor, filmmaker and activist
- Amparo Gonzalez Ferrer; Deputy Director of Migration Analysis, Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration
- Eleni Takou; Head of Outreach, Mediterranean Migration and Asylum Policy Hub
- Lucila Rodríguez-Alarcón; Director, porCausa
- Ismail El Majdoubi; activist and human rights defender
- Miriam Juan-Torres; Head of Research, Democracy and Belonging Forum, Othering and Belonging Institute
- Claire Kumar; Senior Research Fellow, ODI
- Antonella Napolitano; Researcher, Migration and Tech Policy Expert
- Patricia Macías López; journalist
- Gonzalo Fanjul; Head of Research, porCausa
