Registrations are open for ECPR’s general conference, taking place between August 30th and September 3rd, 2021. With around 500 Panels across c.70 Sections, the academic programme covers the breadth of political science; developed and delivered by high-profile members of the profession.
Check out this link for more information: https://ecpr.eu/GeneralConference
We highlight the following three panels of the section International Migration: Challenges for Politics, Governance, and Society:
Shifting dynamics of politicization? Exploring the effects, and interactions of recent crises on the migration policy field – Wednesday 15:15 – 17:00 (01/09/2021)
The nexus between immigration and immigrant integration policies – Thursday 12:30 – 14:15 (02/09/2021)
The politicization of migration in Europe – Friday 11:00 – 12:45 (03/09/2021)
Shifting dynamics of politicization? Exploring the effects, and interactions of recent crises on the migration policy field
Panel Chair
Tiziana Caponio
Università degli Studi di Torino
Panel Co-Chair
Leila Hadj-Abdou
University of Vienna
Panel Discussant
Verena Wisthaler
European Academy of Bolzano
Wednesday 15:15 – 17:00 (01/09/2021)
Abstract
The growing politicization of migration has been undoubtedly a key dynamic, shaping the migration policy field in the past decades. The causes and effects of this politicization of migration are linked to changes in the social foundations of politics, and the restructuring of socio-political conflicts: new political divisions often labelled as cosmopolitans versus communitarians, and the accompanying rise of sovereignist versus supranational claims and growing political polarization.
Research on the 2015 migration crisis, has shown that the crisis did not necessarily alter policy approaches but interacted with the new socio-political conflicts by further intensifying political debates around migration and mobility. However, more recent crises and key events in Europe, including the Covid-19 pandemic, terrorist attacks such as in Vienna 2020, the ongoing climate change issue, as well as the Black Lives Matter mobilizations, highlight a possible alteration and redefinition of politicization trends. The current Covid-19 pandemic, for instance, has partly shifted attention away from the migration issue and by doing so has potentially opened up space for more liberal migration policies. In the wake of the pandemic, divisions between those advocating sovereignism and those promoting cooperation across national boundaries, moreover, seem also to have become partly blurred: Whilst there is tendency for more desire for international cooperation, there is also an increasing desire to be shielded from global dangers.
In sum, by focusing on recent crises in this panel we seek to explore new venues of conceptualizing and analyzing the impact of crisis on migration policy and politics, taking into account the interactions of different crises with each other, as well as with underlying socio-economic drivers of political change. Contributions submitted to this panel should especially focus on whether and how recent crises have altered the politicization of migration. We encourage and welcome both theoretical and empirical papers presenting cutting-edge research on the impact of recent crises in different contexts.
The nexus between immigration and immigrant integration policies
Panel Chair
Anita Manatschal
Université de Neuchâtel
Panel Discussant
Marco Bitschnau
Université de Neuchâtel
Samuel Schmid
European University Institute
Thursday 12:30 – 14:15 (02/09/2021)
Abstract
The global intensification of migration and recent humanitarian migration challenge the migration management strategies of states worldwide. This panel explores individual states’ migration management including both entry policies as well as policies steering the further accommodation and settlement on the territory. This panel brings together papers evaluating different immigration policies, such as family migration and economic migration policies, and their relations to national immigrant integration frameworks. Papers of this panel shed light on the various aspects of admitting migrants, the conditions for admission or rejections, and supporting or not supporting their long-term settlement in the territory in a range of European countries and beyond.
Andrea Pettrachin and Leila Hadj Abdou, both Whole-COMM researchers, will present the paper “Migration governance 2.0: changing governance players and status quo perspectives”
The politicization of migration in Europe
Panel Chair
Andrea Pettrachin
Collegio Carlo Alberto
Panel Co-Chair
Leila Hadj-Abdou
University of Vienna
Friday 11:00 – 12:45 (03/09/2021)
Abstract
Migration has turned into one of the most politicized issues in Europe, with the summer of migration in 2015-2016 adding an additional twist to the framing of the question. This panel explores the politicization of migration from various perspectives, such as political parties’ framing of the issues and governmental and media discourse. Moreover, the panel contributes to an evaluation of the politicization of immigration at various levels, in particular at the European level and within selected EU member states. Papers in the panel compare the salience of the issue over time, and evaluate the effects of external shocks, such as the 2008 economic crisis, but also the Covid19 crisis, on the salience of the topic.
