The next 2020-21 GRITIM-UPF Seminar Series will be a EuroMedMig Roundtable between Jean-Pierre Cassarino (IméRA, University of Aix-Marseille, and College of Europe, Warsaw, Poland), Ioana Vrabiescu (WIRL-COFUND Fellow, University of Warwick) and chaired by Lorenzo Gabrielli (GRITIM-UPF). The session is entitled: "Return Migration in a Critical Perspective: Questioning Concepts and Practices in the Mediterranean".

This activity forms part of EUMedMig: "Mapping European Mediterranean Migration Studies" (September 2019 - August 2022). Funded by the Erasmus + Jean Monnet Network Program. 

Details:

Date: Thursday March 18th, 2021

Time: 14:30 - 16:00 (CET)

Place: Zoom 

To register in advance: Here 

Framework:

For several decades, return - as part of the migration process - has been neglected both in migration studies and policies. This issue appears suddenly in Europe after the oil crisis of 1973-74, when main recruiters of foreign workers shut down formal channels of migration and also developed some programs to encourage the return of immigrants, with very poor outcomes.

The issue of return reappeared during the last two decades as a key pillar of the external dimension of European immigration policies, in a very dichotomic way: on the one hand, the “forced returns” of irregular migrants carried out by European countries individually or under the coordination of Frontex; on the other hand, the “voluntary” or “assisted” return programs often delegated to international organizations and CSO, with an increased emphasis on reintegration measures.

This roundtable will look at return in a critical perspective, to put into question the dichotomy between “voluntary” and “forced” returns imposed by EU actors and some international organisations. To continue reading.