CfP Panel 'Exploring Narratives of Migration through Visual Approaches', 2025 ECPR General Conference, 26 – 29 August, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Section S30: International Migration: Policies and Practices

Panel description:

In the face of global turbulence and the resulting rise in human (im)mobility, it is

vital to explore innovative and multidisciplinary approaches to understanding and

addressing the challenges faced by those who have experienced it. Transcending distinctions such as

forced/voluntary, legal/irregular, and internal/external migration, this panel seeks to explore

how visual approaches can be utilized to unpack narratives of migration and empower

marginalized individuals and communities to claim their political rights from the bottom

up. By centering the experiences and voices of those who directly experienced migration, we

aim to challenge dominant discourses and amplify alternative narratives of longing,

belonging, safety, and agency. Topics may include:

1. The role of visual methods in understanding and representing the experiences of individuals and

communities who have faced displacement, exile, (im)mobility, etc.;

2. Researcher positionality and reflexivity in visual approaches, their implications for

knowledge production and ethical engagement;

3. Collaborative and participatory approaches to visual storytelling with migrants, including

displaced communities;

4. The role of visual methods in challenging populist and nationalist discourses and

reshaping public discourse on migration and minority rights;

5. Ethical considerations in using visual methods within migration research. 

We welcome contributions from researchers, artists, activists, and practitioners working at

the intersection of borders, migration, peace and conflict, and visual and film studies. We

encourage diverse perspectives and methodologies, including academic presentations,

visual exhibitions, film screenings, and interactive engagements.

Please submit your abstract (up to 250 words) via email to panel chair Gintare Kudzmaite (gintare.kudzmaite@tuni.fi) by 27 December 2024.

Call for papers: Panel " Maritime irregular migration governance: trends and challenges in Europe and beyond ", ECPR General Conference 2025, 26 – 29 August, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Section S30: International Migration: Policies and Practices

Please submit your abstracts (no more than 250 words) as well as 3-8 keywords to Claudia Finotelli (cfinotel@cps.ucm.es) by December 22th, 2024. Please include in your proposal your email address as registered in your My ECPR account.

Maritime irregular migration is a significant challenge in most receiving regions. Even though the majority of irregular migrants are visa overstayers, maritime irregular migration has captured the attention of media and political debates in recent years, torn between security and humanitarian concerns. On the one hand, EU member states are increasingly focusing on the externalisation of borders, as the United States and Australia have been doing for many years.

Bilateral agreements, conditionality clauses, new reception and offshore processing centres in third countries, and a militarisation of the maritime domain comprise the latest externalisation strategies of both EU member states and the European Union. On the other hand, many fear that security imperatives (and measures) may eventually undermine the universal principle of refugee protection and, potentially, increase the number of irregular migrants in many destination countries. But how do receiving states address the dichotomy between security and humanitarian imperatives? What are the key measures adopted by European and non-European destination countries? What are their consequences? Consequently, it

This panel deals with irregular migration governance, broadly understood and invites articles that offer timely and innovative insights centred on, among other elements, the foreign and security policies on irregular migration, externalisation measures, migration diplomacy, refugee protection, and related policies, including regularisations. We welcome papers that approach this sensitive issue from a variety of analytical, theoretical, and methodological standpoints, with the goal of providing novel and multidisciplinary insights into one of the most momentous phenomena of the twenty-first century.

Call for papers:

"The Ambiguities of Temporary Protection: Impact and Dilemmas of Time-Limited Refugee Policies"

Section on Migration at the ECPR General Conference 2025

26 – 29 August 2025, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

About the panel:

In response to recent large-scale displacement crises, many European countries have adopted temporary protection policies. These policies significantly affect refugees’ rights, access to resources, and their strategies for integration, aspirations, and future plans. This panel will explore the political motivations behind this shift and examine how the temporary nature of protection shapes the rights and strategies of refugees, particularly Ukrainians and others under temporary protection status.

European temporary protection policies often oscillate between promoting integration and planning for eventual repatriation. Although host countries may encourage initial integration efforts, the emphasis on temporary stay introduces uncertainty, influencing both refugees’ hopes for settlement and the strategic planning of states. By imposing an indeterminate timeline on residence, these policies challenge refugees and supporting services to navigate their immediate needs for integration alongside the potential for future return, positioning them as "liminal" migrants in an ambiguous state.

We invite papers that critically analyze the development of temporary protection policies across European contexts, how they shape national approaches to integration, and how temporary status influences refugees’ social, economic, and political inclusion. We welcome empirical studies utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods, and we especially encourage theoretical contributions to enhance our understanding of the policy decisions made by host states and the impacts of temporary status on refugees and their strategies. Together, these perspectives aim to inform migration governance and protection policies, urging us to consider the balance between immediate responses and long-term impacts in temporary refugee protection frameworks.

Paper submission procedure: To submit a paper for this panel, please email an abstract (up to 250 words) to the panel chairs, Ragna Lillevik (ral@fafo.no) and Ida Kjeøy (ikj@fafo.no), by December 15, 2024. Authors will receive a response by December 20, following the review of all submissions.