Welcome to our second quarterly newsletter of 2016, keeping you up-to-date on our migration activities, events and publications at UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance. | ||
ANNOUNCEMENTS |
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Welcome to Isabel Ruiz This month we welcome Isabel Ruiz as a visiting researcher at UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance. Isabel Ruiz is currently an Official Fellow in Economics (2011 – present) at the Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford and a Research Associate (2013 – present) at the Centre on Migration Policy and Society, COMPAS, University of Oxford. She works primarily in the area of international and development economics. Her recent research focus has been on the economic consequences of international migration. Isabel is one of the researchers in “The Labour Market Impacts of Forced Migration” project (funded by UK DFID and IZA) and has done extensive research on remittances, FDI and financial markets. Isabel will spend one month with the team at UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance. |
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Rubicon Grant for Katie Kuschminder Postdoctoral researcher Dr. Katie Kuschminder has won a “Rubicon” grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). Katie will shortly spend two years at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute, close to Florence in Italy where she will conduct research on Nigerian and Syrian migrants arriving in Europe via Italy. At present most Syrian migrants do not request asylum in Italy, but travel on to other European countries including Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. However, the majority of Nigerian migrants do request asylum in Italy. Kuschminder will examine the decision-making processes within these two groups, based on interviews held in Milan and Sicily. She will also follow the migrants for four months to determine whether they follow through with their original plans. Read more here. |
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NEW PROJECTS |
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Mail-Order Brides in Europe In cooperation with the Law Faculty at Maastricht University and Panteia, UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance will implement a project entitled “Legal Regulations of the Mail-Order Bride Industry” for the European Commission. Specific EU legislation targeting “Mail-Order Brides” is lacking and the challenges encountered are numerous and multifaceted. Since a growing number of mail-order brides are arriving in the EU from third countries, this study will produce a systematic overview of existing legislation, map out the main challenges encountered (such as domestic violence, sexual exploitation, and the implication of divorce), and explore possibilities to better regulate international marriage agencies. Using a mixed method approach, the research will look at the overall European context, with a particular focus on four country case studies, namely the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway. |
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Mobility in the new development strategy of Benin The Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC) is currently developing its new 2017-2020 Cooperation Strategy in Benin. Recognising that migration is a transversal theme, the objective of the strategy is to incorporate migration into development projects related to Switzerland’s main areas of intervention in Benin, namely Rural Economic Development, Education and Vocational Training, and Local Governance and Decentralisation. To inform the development of the strategy, Dr. Özge Bilgili conducted fieldwork in Benin interviewing key ministries, international organisations, NGOs and staff at the SDC office in Benin to ensure that the 2017-2020 strategy adequately incorporates migration across the different areas of intervention while remaining coherent with the regional programme of SDC’s West Africa Division and the Global Programmes of the SDC. A key message of the report is the importance of including migration in the development strategy of Benin in the coming years. |
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Forced Displacement and Gender Dr. Özge Bilgili, Craig Loschmann and Dr. Melissa Siegel have been awarded a grant by the World Bank’s Global Knowledge Partnership on Migration and Development (KNOMAD) to write a working paper entitled “Forced Displacement, Development and Gender: The case of Congolese Refugees in Rwanda”. The paper is based on data collected for the UNHCR-funded Economic Impacts of Congolese Refugees in Rwanda project. The intention is to improve knowledge on a) how traditional gender roles influence the process of force displacement (decision to flee, resettlement process, etc.); b) how gender roles may be affected by forced displacement; and c) how such an understanding may contribute to the reconstruction of the livelihoods of affected individuals. The research will result in improved understanding of the importance of assessing gender issues while addressing forced displacement. |
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Refugee Entrepreneurship in the Netherlands In partnership with Josette Dijkhuizen, Honorary Professor in Entrepreneurship Development at the Maastricht School of Management, PhD fellow, Katrin Marchand is currently implementing an evaluation of a pilot project for refugees that is being conducted in North Brabant. The project aims to support and mentor refugees with entrepreneurial backgrounds in establishing new businesses in the Netherlands. It was launched in Tilburg during an information session organised for prospective participants. Eight individuals were selected and, after pre-project interviews, are currently participating in workshops and receiving mentoring for the development of their business plans. If the project works it has the potential to be applied nationwide. It represents a good way of promoting integration while recognising the important economic contributions that refugees can make to the Netherlands. The project was covered in the Dutch news (view here from 29:38). Read more here. |
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Migrants in Countries in Crisis (MICIC) Dr. Katie Kuschminder and Sarah Langley have been commissioned by ICMPD to prepare a background document that will inform a regional consultation of approximately 100 delegates from across Eastern and Southern African countries on key issues related to the Migrants in Countries in Crisis (MICIC) initiative. The research is financed through the European Union (EU)-funded project ”Migrants in Countries in Crisis: Supporting an Evidence-based Approach for Effective and Cooperative State Action” which was launched in January 2015 and will run for four years. The project supports the broader ”Migrants in Countries in Crisis”’ (MICIC) initiative, which is a government-led initiative launched in 2013 and co-chaired by the Philippines and the United States. Dr. Kuschminder will present the findings of the report at the regional consultations in Kigali, Rwanda in May. For more information please visit the following webpage. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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WUN Migration Conference Between 2 and 7 April 2016, the World University Network (WUN) will hold its annual conference and AGM meeting in Maastricht. In recent years, international migration has become a central element of the global policy agenda. Between 2-3 April, the second WUN Migration Conference will bring together a range of stakeholders to discuss some critical issues relating to migration, specifically in the context of increasing numbers of migrants and refugees entering Europe though its southern borders. A policy crisis has resulted from serious differences between the EU member states on how to respond. The WUN Migration Conference will focus on EU migration and asylum policy during its plenary session. Speakers include policy makers from the EU institutions, academics, and representations of international organisations, labour organisations, trade unions and NGOs. |
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PhD Course: New Perspectives on Transnational Living Between 19 and 21 October 2016, a PhD course on transnationalism will be organised by the Standing Committee on Interactions of Migrant Integration and Transnationalism in Europe (IMITE) of the International Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion in Europe (IMISCOE) network. Jointly financed by the IMISCOE Board of Directors and MACIMIDE, the course will be implemented by IMITE in partnership with FASoS and UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance, both of Maastricht University. During the three days, two main themes will be covered: 1) transnational practices versus transnational living; and 2) transnationalism beyond migrants. A formal announcement and call for papers will be issued on 1 May 2016. For more information, you may contact Dr. Özge Bilgili. |
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Migration Seminars In conjunction with MACIMIDE, the Migration and Development research group at UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance organises a series of migration-related seminars to provide a platform to discuss the research output of researchers at the School and to invite external speakers to share their work. The next seminar will be presented by Visiting Researcher, Isabel Ruiz on 20 April followed by a seminar by Izabela Grabowska-Lusińska on 26 April. Future speakers include Lisa Andersson (OECD) on 20 May, Ali Chaudhary (IMI) on 23 May, Jessica Hagen-Zanker (ODI) on 30 May and Mark Levels (Maastricht University) on 15 June. To join our mailing list and receive invitations to future seminars, or to express interest in delivering a seminar, please email Dr. Michaella Vanore. |
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PAST EVENTS |
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Migration Policies and Practices in the Americas On 1 April, Dr. Melissa Siegel moderated a discussion on migration policies and practices in the Americas at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands in The Hague. The seminar was organised by the Western Hemisphere Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. Countries in the Americas have a wealth of experience when it comes to migration. The aim of this seminar was to discuss migration policies in the Americas and to share practices and lessons learned. Key speakers included Georges Lemaître, former Principal Administrator of the International Migration Division at the OECD, Patrick Ott, Customs and Border Protection Attaché, US Embassy in The Hague, Sandra Patricia Mendoza Durán, Director for Protection in the United States, Mexican MFA, Dr. Olivier Thomas Kramsch, Nijmegen Centre for Border Research and Dr. Tanya Basok, Professor at University of Windsor, Canada. |
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The Role of Culture and the Arts in the Integration of Refugees and Migrants On 25 February, PhD fellow Nora Ragab presented “The Role of Culture and the Arts in the Integration of Refugees and Migrants” in Brussels. The study was conducted by Elaine McGregor and Nora Ragab based on a request from the recently established European Expert Network on Culture and Audiovisual (EENCA). The study mapped practices in three major European cities (Barcelona, Berlin and London) and several Eastern European cities (Budapest, Bucharest, Sofia). A diversity of practices uncovered a positive relationship between cultural activities and different dimensions of integration. Many of the identified initiatives largely targeted cultural integration through the promotion of intercultural dialogue and the celebration of multiculturalism with a general aim to shift perspective and perceptions of migration. Others targeted young people with a specific focus on language acquisition. Furthermore, the use of arts and culture in a therapeutic setting can have positive outcomes on the wellbeing of migrants. A diverse cultural scene can also have positive economic spillover effects for example, cultural tourism. |
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Migration and Violent Extremism - Current Affairs Lecture On Monday 22 February, Prof. Khalid Koser delivered a public lecture co-organised by the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance, ESA Concordantia and Studium Generale on the topic of migration and violent extremism. Over the last year two global crises of migration and violent extremism have collided. There are growing concerns that Europe’s refugee crisis risks importing the violent extremism that plagues the Middle East and North Africa. The lecture considered how violent extremism can be both a cause for and a consequence of migration, but also how migration can be a critical component in countering violent extremism. The challenge for Europe’s policy makers is to maintain the dividends of migration while managing its risks. Watch the lecture. |
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TRAINING PROGRAMMES |
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New Course on Migration at University College Maastricht (UCM) As of the 2015/2016 Academic Year, University College Maastricht (UCM) is offering a new bachelor level course on migration led by UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance. The course is coordinated by Dr. Katie Kuchminder and content is delivered by a number of UNU-MERIT staff including Dr. Melissa Siegel, Dr. Özge Bilgili and Dr. Michaella Vanore. The course has already attracted 80 students, which reflects the importance of migration as a key issue of our time. We are delighted to work with UCM in delivering this course on migration, and to continue our excellent collaboration on course development and delivery between our institutes. For more information please see here. |
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Migration Management Diploma Programme: Applications Open Three years ago, the Migration Management Diploma Programme (MMDP) accepted its first cohort of students. On 31 March we welcomed our fourth cohort of students. The MMDP trains government officials with three or more years of working experience on a migration management topic and is supported by the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). If you are interested in receiving further information about the programme please email or visit our website. |
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Online Courses For those who are interested but do not have the time to take a full time course in migration studies, UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance offer a number of specially designed online courses to suit the needs of busy professionals. Currently we offer three courses that can be started at any time: 1) Introduction to Migration Studies; 2) Migration and Remittance Effects; and 3) Comparative Migration Policy. Keep an eye on our website for the launch of a new online course in 2016 on Internal Migration by Prof. Ronald Skeldon and on Forced Migration later in the year. Watch introduction videos for the course on our YouTube channel (internal migration/ forced migration. For further information please contact Katrin Marchand. |
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NEW PUBLICATIONS |
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Bilgili, Özge, 2016, A new strategy: Coherent and complementary integration and development policies, Migration Policy Practice, Vol. VI, Number 1 Bilgili, Özge & Silja Weyel, 2016, Diaspora Engagement Policies: A Comparison between the Turkish and Moroccan Case, in: D. Besharov and M. Lopez (Eds.), Adjusting to a World in Motion: Trends in Global Migration and Migration Policy, Oxford University Press, Boston Fransen, Sonja & Melissa Siegel, 2016, Diaspora Engagement Policies after Conflict: Burundi and Rwanda, in: D. Besharov and M. Lopez (Eds.), Adjusting to a World in Motion: Trends in Global Migration and Migration Policy, Oxford University Press, Boston Sturge, Georgina, Özge Bilgili & Melissa Siegel, 2016, Migrants’ capacity as actors of development: do skills matter for economic and social remittances?, Global Networks, DOI: 10.1111/glob.12117 McGregor, Elaine, 2016, Movement: A Global Civil Society Report on Progress and Impact for Migrants’ Rights and Development, Commissioned by the Migration and Development Civil Society Network (MADE), More information Waidler, Jennifer, Michaella Vanore, Franziska Gassmann & Melissa Siegel, 2016, Does it matter where the children are? The wellbeing of elderly people 'left behind' by migrant children in Moldova, Ageing and Society, DOI: 10.1017/S0144686X15001385, More information Kuschminder, Katherine & Melissa Siegel, 2016, Rejected Afghan asylum seekers in the Netherlands: Migration experiences, current situations and future aspirations, UNU-MERIT Working Paper 2016-007 Huddleston, Thomas, Özge Bilgili, Anne-Linde Joki & Z. Vankova, 2015, Migrant Integration Policy Index | MIPEX 2015, Migration Policy Group, Brussels, More information Ong, Cheng Boon, 2015, Tipping points in Dutch big city neighbourhoods, Urban Studies, DOI: 10.1177/0042098015619867, More information Mazzucato, Valentina & Victor Cebotari, 2015, Psychological well-being of Ghanaian children in transnational families, Population, Space and Place, (online first) DOI: 10.1002/psp.2004 |
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Photo Credits: H. Pijpers, S. Brodin, S. Langley, O. Bilgili, Flickr: Albertogp123 | ||
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