The French-German border near the town of Pirmasens. Despite the Dublin Regulation, a growing number of asylum-seekers are moving within the European Union in search of protection and more humane reception conditions/Photo: Femi Awoniyi

Bonn hosts international conference on forced migration

An international forum on forced migration and displacement caused by violent conflicts and natural disasters will convene from 16 to 18 September 2024 in the western German city of Bonn.

The 5th Conference of the German Network for Forced Migration Studies brings together refugee and non-refugee researchers at all career levels, practitioners, students and interested parties, such as refugee/migrant organisations, from across the globe.

Featuring sessions with panels, roundtables and workshops as well as poster presentations, the three-day conference “aims to shed light on the global, regional and local contexts of forced migration and displacement, including the causes and trends that force people into mobility, but also immobility.”

The forum will therefore examine the complexities of forced migration against the background of increasing influence of right-wing populist parties that are against immigration and people seeking protection in many countries.

A hybrid event, the conference will also look at the challenges and obstacles faced by refugees and their host communities, as well as the positive impacts that immigration can have. Key topics will include integration, social justice, access to education and healthcare, and the protection of human rights.

Moreover, the conference will explore best practices and innovative solutions for addressing global refugee movements, showcasing initiatives and strategies from policy, civil society, education and research. A special emphasis will be placed on highlighting the role and perspectives of refugee organizations. In fact, the conference aims to include refugee participation by inviting refugees and migrants with media/journalist background who are engaged and/or are reporting on refugee issues in Germany.

The conference, which will be held at the University of Bonn, will begin with a kick-off event in the early evening of 16 September 2024. The parallel sessions with panels, roundtables and workshops as well as poster presentations will take place on 17 and 18 September 2024.

The conference is organised in cooperation by the German Network for Forced Migration Studies, the joint project “Forced Migration and Refugee Studies: Networking and Knowledge Transfer” and the European Coalition of Migrants and Refugees (EU COMAR) and is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

The local organisation is led by BICC (Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies) with the support of the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg–University of Applied Sciences, Bonn University, the Forum Internationale Wissenschaft and IDOS (German Institute for Development and Sustainability) as well as the Bonn Initiative on Displacement and Migration Research.

Femi Awoniyi

More on the 5th Conference of the German Network for Forced Migration Studies HERE

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