WELCOME to our first quarterly newsletter of 2017, keeping you up-to-date on our migration activities, events, and publications at UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance. |
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NEWS FROM OUR NETWORKS |
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UNU Migration Network The UNU Migration Network is a platform across the institutes of the UNU system encouraging collaboration between researchers working on migration. The network is currently coordinated by UNU-MERIT who took over coordination from GCM in January 2016. In October 2016 the ninth coordination meeting of the network took place at UNU-EHS in Bonn. In the lead up to the High Level Summit in New York, UNU-MN published a series of blogs centred on each of the six research themes of the network. A summary blog reflecting on the outcomes of the Summit was published on UN Day in October 2016. |
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Maastricht Centre for Citizenship, Migration and Development (MACIMIDE) The Maastricht Centre for Citizenship, Migration and Development (MACIMIDE) is the interdisciplinary research platform of Maastricht University that brings together scholars working in the fields of migration, mobility, citizenship, development and family life. From 10-11 April 2017, MACIMIDE will organise its annual workshop including presentations related to its four thematic areas: Migration & Development, Citizenship and Immigrant Integration, Transnational Families, and Cross-border Mobility. On 2 June, Prof. dr. Melissa Siegel, co-director of MACIMIDE, will give her inaugural lecture ‘Migration &: The Depth and Breadth of Migration Studies’. MACIMIDE also continues to co-organise the Globalisation, Transnationalism & Development (GTD) Colloquia, and the Migration Seminar Series at UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance. Follow MACIMIDE’s agenda and subscribe to the newsletter for continuous updates. |
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NEW PROJECTS |
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Displacement Tracking Matrix: Studying Migration Flows from Afghanistan and Pakistan to Europe The Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) is a system developed by the International Organization for Migration IOM to track and monitor displacement and population mobility. It is designed to systematically capture information on the movements and evolving needs of displaced populations. In this project, researchers from UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance will analyse data gathered through the DTM to gain insights on migrant profiles; challenges and opportunities in origin, transit and destination countries; migrants’ perceptions towards Europe; migrants’ journeys; and migrants’ decision-making factors. |
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Intra-Regional Labour Migration in the East African Community Samuel Hall, UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance and the University of Oxford have been mandated by the British Department for International Development (DFID) to undertake a study on intra-regional labour migration in the East African Community (EAC). The aim of the project is to generate new evidence based on an extensive review of existing data and literature as well as primary data collection and analysis of migration trends in the EAC region. Based on the results of this research, recommendations will be given to support government and development interventions aimed at reducing poverty and vulnerabilities by exploring the untapped potential of labour migration. |
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H2020: The Role of European Mobility and its Impacts in Narratives, Debates and EU Reforms UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance are part of a research consortium of 13 European institutions who will implement a three-year project titled ‘The Role of European Mobility and its Impacts in Narratives, Debates and EU Reforms’ (REMINDER). The project starts in January 2017 under the lead of Oxford University and is funded by the European Commission’s ‘Horizon 2020’ Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. The project investigates the economic, social, institutional and policy factors that have shaped the impacts of free movement and the public debates surrounding it. |
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Engagement of the Diaspora in Private Sector Employment Commissioned by the Repatriation and Departure Service (DT&V) of the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice, this project examines the concept of diaspora work placements, which refers to the recruitment of migrants and their descendants by multinational companies in the country of residence for placement in company offices in a migrant or diaspora member’s country of (ancestral) origin. While much of the literature on the role of return migrants and diaspora members in the private sector in their countries of origin or ancestry has focused on the role of such mobile populations as investors or entrepreneurs, their role as employees has been less well explored. |
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Mapping the Syrian Diaspora in Germany UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance have been commissioned by the German Development Cooperation office (GIZ) to carry out a diaspora mapping study on the Syrian diaspora in Germany. The main aims of the study are to gain insights into the profile of the Syrian diaspora in Germany, through a mapping and documentation of Syrian diaspora organisations, associations and initiatives and to analyse their contributions to peace, development and reconstruction in Syria. Moreover, the potential for cooperation between diaspora organisations and GIZ is identified in order to develop recommendations regarding a context-specific and conflict-sensitive strategy for approaching the organised diaspora. |
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Two New Projects on Corruption and Migration UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance were recently commissioned by the German Development Cooperation office (GIZ) to investigate the links between corruption and the causes for (irregular) migration. In this project Prof. Dr. Melissa Siegel, PhD fellow Ortrun Merkle and researcher Julia Reinold have developed a theoretical framework to explain the links between corruption and (irregular) migration using two case studies (Ukraine and Mali). The research team will now work on a study for GIZ which, for the first time, will systematically analyse the impact of corruption on female migrants, with a special focus on sexual extortion (‘sextortion’) in order to provide a gender-perspective on corruption encountered during migration. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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APPAM Conference On 14-15 July 2017, the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) conference will be held in Brussels, Belgium. The conference, to be held in the capital of Europe’s political project, invites researchers, analysts, and policymakers to critically reflect on their experiences of working on issues of public policy and governance beyond borders. The theme of the 9th annual International Conference will be ‘Public Policy and Governance Beyond Borders’ and Population, Migration and Refugees is one of nine policy areas of focus. A call for papers, panels, roundtables, and posters is currently open until 31 January 2017. The event is sponsored by UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance and Syracuse University. |
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Migration Seminars In conjunction with the Maastricht Centre for Citizenship, Migration and Development (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 2016/17 series will recommence on 18 January 2017 with a presentation by Amanda Paz, a Lecturer in the Department of Media & Communication at Erasmus University in Rotterdam. The next seminars are scheduled to take place on 15 February and 15 March. 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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Global Discussions on Migration Researchers at UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance are regular fixtures at global events. From 21 to 22 November Prof. Melissa Siegel attended the Vision Europe Summit in Lisbon sharing her views in a roundtable discussion on the arrival and reception of refugees in Europe. From 2 to 3 December Prof. Siegel attended the ‘Improving Data on International Migration’ conference organised by IOM’s Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC) in Berlin and from 7 to 12 December, Prof. Siegel and researcher Elaine McGregor attended the 10th Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. |
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PhD Defence: Migration in the Periphery of the European Union On 24 November, GPAC2 PhD Fellow Natalia Popova successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled ‘Migration in the Periphery of the European Union: Determinants of Successful and Sustainable Labour Market Integration of Return Migrants in Albania, Egypt, Moldova and Tunisia’. Dr. Popova is a labour economist with the Labour Migration Branch of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Previously, she worked as Employment and Skills Development Specialist with the ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team and Country Office for Central and Eastern Europe, in Budapest, Hungary. She has been engaged in delivering technical assistance on employment, vocational education and training, and labour migration. |
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DAMR Fall Seminar: Urban Refugees: Migration in the City On 18 November the Dutch Association for Migration Researchers (DAMR) organised its fall seminar at Tilburg University on 'Urban Refugees: Migration in the City'. The seminar was chaired by Dr. Özge Bilgili. The seminar created lively discussions and researchers from UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance had the opportunity to present their work. Elaine McGregor and Nora Jasmin Ragab presented their working paper on the role of arts and culture in the integration of refugees and Teressa Juzwiak from the Hague Process on Refugees and Migrants (THP) presented a report prepared together with Prof. Melissa Siegel and Elaine McGregor on the role of business and cities in the integration of migrants and refugees. |
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Support to Implementation of the Mobility Partnership with Azerbaijan In November 2016, Prof. Melissa Siegel travelled to Baku, Azerbaijan to provide input to the ‘Support to Implementation of the Mobility Partnership with Azerbaijan (MOBILAZE)’ project implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development ICMPD. The objective of the project is to support the implementation of the Mobility Partnership between the EU and Azerbaijan with a specific focus on strengthening the capacity of the government of Azerbaijan to develop and implement its national migration policy. Prof. Siegel engaged with Component 5 on Return and Reintegration conducting focus groups and reporting on her findings with a view to enhancing knowledge on Azerbaijani returnees and their needs and priorities. |
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New Perspectives on Transnational Living Symposium and PhD Course From 19-21 October, UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance hosted the ‘New Perspectives on Transnational Living’ Symposium and PhD course. The three-day event was a platform for researchers working on transnational phenomena to engage in discussions with a vibrant group of over 30 senior researchers and PhD candidates from a range of countries and a variety of disciplines. Chaired by Dr. Özge Bilgili (UNU-MERIT) and Dr. Karlijn Haagsman (FASoS), the event was organised jointly by the International Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion (IMISCOE) network’s standing committee on Interaction of Migrant Integration and Transnationalism (IMITE) and the Maastricht Centre for Citizenship, Migration and Development (MACIMIDE). A short summary of the take-aways from the event can be found here. |
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TRAINING PROGRAMMES |
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Migration Management Diploma Programme: Applications Open We are currently accepting applications for our Migration Management Diploma Programme (MMDP). Students follow three months of intensive training on different aspects of migration policymaking. The MMDP trains government officials working on migration management issues and is supported by the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), and the Dutch Repatriation and Departure Service (DTenV). More information about our programme can be found in the latest brochure. Applicants can register for the MMDP and apply for a scholarship via the online application form. The deadline for application is 16 January 2017. |
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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. We currently 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 2017 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 Kahanec, Martin & Mariola Pytliková, 2017, The economic impact of East-West migration on the European Union, UNU-MERIT Working Paper 2017-001 Mahé, Clotilde, 2016, Skills and entrepreneurship: Are return migrants 'Jacks-of-all-trades'?, UNU-MERIT Working Paper 2016-071 van Houte, Marieke, Melissa Siegel & Tine Davids, 2016, Deconstructing the meanings of and motivations for return: an Afghan case study, Comparative Migration Studies, 4: 21. doi:10.1186/s40878-016-0042-y, More information Qu, Zhaopeng & Zhong Zhao, 2016, Glass ceiling effect in urban China: Wage inequality of rural-urban migrants during 2002-2007, UNU-MERIT Working Paper 2016-069 Kuschminder, Katherine, 2016, Strong ties, weak ties: Exploring the role of networks in domestic worker migration from Ethiopia to the Middle East, Asian Pacific and Migration Journal, 25​(4): 401-421, More information Kahanec, Martin & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2016, Post-Enlargement Migration and the Great Recession in the E(M)U: Lessons and policy implications, UNU-MERIT Working Paper 2016-066 Constant, Amelie & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2016, Towards a new European refugee policy that works, UNU-MERIT Working Paper 2016-062 Reinold, Julia, Inez Roosen, Alexander Hoogenboom, Ingrid Westendorp & Katharina Koch, 2016, International Marriage Brokers and Mail Order Brides. Analysing the need for regulation, The study was requested by the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality and commissioned, overseen and published by the Policy Department for Citizen’s Rights and Constitutional Affairs, More information Waidler, Jennifer, 2016, On the fungibility of public and private transfers: A mental accounting approach, UNU-MERIT Working Paper 2016-060 Constant, Amelie & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2016, Diaspora Economics: New Perspectives, International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 37, No. 7, pp. 1110-1135 Loschmann, Craig, 2016, Essays on Conflict-related Migration and Development in the case of Afghanistan, PhD dissertation Maastricht University / United Nations University Ong, Cheng Boon & Nadine Walicki, Nov 2016, Leaving no one behind: internal displacement and the New Urban Agenda, Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, Geneva, 7, More information Kuschminder, Katherine & Khalid Koser, 2016, Afghans in Greece and Turkey seeking to migrate onward: Decision-making factors and destination choices, Migration Policy Practice, VI​(3): 30-35 Constant, Amelie, Teresa García-Muñoz, Shoshana Neuman & Tzahi Neuman, 2016, A 'healthy immigrant effect' or a 'sick immigrant effect'? Selection and policies matter, UNU-MERIT Working Paper 2016-051 Constant, Amelie, Annabelle Krause, Ulf Rinne & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2016, Reservation wages of first- and second-generation migrants, UNU-MERIT Working Paper 2016-050 |
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Photo Credits: H. Pijpers, S. Brodin, M. Siegel, E .McGregor [18] Flickr: Albertogp123 |
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