23/09/2021 – MACIMIDE Annual Conference

On 23rd September a group of academics and practitioners came together for the MACIMIDE Annual conference in Maastricht. With some people able to join in person, while others joined online. The conference was opened by Karlijn Haagsman (one of the Centre Co-Directors). Her opening remarks were followed by an interactive session by Julia Reinhold regarding perceptions of migration and the presentation of the Expats x Migrants photo exhibition. At this point Tetsuro Miyazaki, the photographer spoke on the inspiration and process that resulted in the exhibition.

At this point there was a Vlaai break, followed by the first break out sessions. In the morning this included one discussion on (a) Development and Migration, with the other on (b) Migration and Covid. In panel session (a) there were presentations on development interventions and their impact on migration (given by Sonja Fransen and Niklas Mayer), on negotiating power dynamics in transnational families (given by Onallia Osei), and on crime, bribery and migrant remittances (given by Ana Isabel López García and Barry Maydom). In session (b) there were presentations from Katarzyna Andrejuk (on the impact of gender on migrant entrepreneurs), Zahra Abbasi (on mental health conceptions and access to healthcare among Afghan women in Norway) and Anton Nivorozhkin (on working conditions in key workers for pandemic response and the role of migrants)

In the afternoon two more sessions were conducted in parallel to one another. The first on (c) returnees and displacement and the second on (d) migrants in receiving societies. This in turn saw presentations by Karlien Srijbosh on the relationship between German Volunteers and Senegalese Returnees, Sonja Fransen and Alex Hunns on the vulnerabilities of refugees to climate change and Aidaibričević on the voluntary return of migrants to Bosnia and Herzegovina in session (c). While in session (d) there were presentations by Eline Dermarcelle (looking at the role of integration as a part of citizenship), Susanne Sivonen (on the Dutch Long Term Care Act Wlz), Lalaine Siruno (looking at undocumented migrants and the strategies they use to survive), and Julia Reinold (on attracting and retaining skilled migrants and to investigate what makes them feel welcome in the Euregio MeuseRhine).

The conference was wrapped up with two workshops: one run in collaboration by the KNAW with an Associate Professor and an actor to experiment with engaging with the broader public; the other workshop focused on the challenges of data collection during a pandemic as well as looking to the post-pandemic world. Thank you to everyone that presented as well as those that attended: we look forward to be able to see you again soon.