Tomorrow Thursday 14th March, and as part of the Research in Action Seminar Series, Julien Brachet, Researcher at the Institut de recherche pour le développement (UMR DevSoc, IRD - University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), will give a lecture on Libya and the Sahara Migratory System.

The lecture will critically address trans-border mobility between the Sahel and north Africa, the evolving role or perception of smugglers in the region, EU contention policies, and the enforcement of stricter migration policies throughout northwest Africa, including the involvement of key international actors such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in facilitating return mechanisms.

Julien Brachet’s research investigates economic and political dynamics in the Sahara and the Sahel, in particular in Niger and Chad where he has carried out long-term fieldwork. He studies patterns of mobility to and through these regions, with a focus on human migration, trade and transport networks from a historical perspective, in order to understand the ways in which intra- and inter-regional relations are structured. His research also focuses on the forms of political power and territorial sovereignty below and beyond the national level.

The session will be moderated by Lorenzo Gabrielli, senior researcher at GRITIM-UPF, and will take place at IEMed (Carrer Girona, 20, Barcelona), starting at 18h30, and will also be streamed online.