Virtual icon Free movement of people regimes as a new normal practice globally? Presenting the new Freemove dataset

Abstract

Speaker: Diego Acosta (University of Bristol & Nebrija University) Governments worldwide engage in a variety of treaties to regulate the movement of people, which either impose restrictions or make mobility easier. However, the treaties facilitating movement are not properly categorized. Instead, scholars and policymakers often group them under the broader category of free movement. Following the adoption of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM), it has become necessary to carefully distinguish between three categories: free movement regimes (FMRs), visa liberalization regimes (VLRs), and labour mobility schemes (LMS). The Freemove project, funded by the Open Society Foundations, is the first to comprehensively map, analyze, and compare all bilateral and multilateral free movement of people regimes at the global level. Through its website, users can access information about each regime, see how they have evolved over the last 30 years, compare them with others, and assess trends in this crucial area that affects the rights of millions of people in situations of human mobility. This presentation will offer some thoughts on their development and present initial conclusions on how they compare and evolve.