Call for Papers for Panel: “Comparative Perspectives on the Evolution of Diaspora Engagement Policies: From Regional Traditions to Emerging Global Patterns?”

Call for Papers for Panel: “Comparative Perspectives on the Evolution of Diaspora Engagement Policies: From Regional Traditions to Emerging Global Patterns?”, 2026 ECPR General Conference, 8-11 September 2026, Jagiellonian University, Kraków  

Panel to be included in Section S16 “Contemporary Approaches to Migration Governance and Inclusion: Policies, Actors, and Everyday Practices”

Panel Chairs: Pau Palop-García (German Center for Integration and Migration Research) and Luicy Pedroza (El Colegio de México)

Submission deadline: 22 December 2025

Panel abstract: In recent decades, research on diaspora engagement policies (or emigrant policies) has illuminated the ways in which states of origin construct, change or institutionalize relationships with their citizens abroad. These policies, encompassing areas such as dual citizenship, external voting, consular protection, socioeconomic rights and cultural outreach, are increasingly central to the broader governance of international migration. However, while significant conceptual and empirical progress has been made (e.g. Ragazzi 2014; Gamlen 2019; Pedroza and Palop García 2026), most existing studies remain regionally confined or focus on a limited set of diaspora engagement policies.

This panel seeks to address this gap by adopting a comparative and longitudinal perspective on the evolution of diaspora engagement policies. We ask: to what extent can we observe the emergence of global or regional patterns in diaspora policymaking? The panel invites papers that engage with this question through diverse methodological and theoretical approaches. We particularly welcome contributions that:

1. Bridge regional perspectives to identify cross-regional or global patterns of diaspora engagement;

2. Apply or expand comparative frameworks such as EMIX to regions or cases that have been underexplored (e.g. Sub-Saharan Africa, South and East Asia, or Eastern Europe);

3. Examine neglected cases that challenge existing typologies of emigrant policies;

4. Analyze implementation and impact, including how policies are experienced by emigrants and their influence on identity, belonging, and political participation.

By bringing together case studies and comparative analyses this panel aims to advance our understanding of diaspora engagement as a key dimension of contemporary migration governance. It contributes to the Section’s broader goal of examining how social and political actors shape international migration policies in an increasingly interconnected world.

We welcome submissions of 200-word abstracts by December 22. Kindly email your abstract to palop-garcia@dezim-institute.de and lpedroza@colmex.mx.