The C-MISE project Research Exchange Webinar Series is a forum for invited researchers to share and discuss their findings with the C-MISE network.
Attendance is free, and all are welcome. However, to join via Zoom, you must register in advance (individual webinar registration links can be found below).
2 - 3 pm (UK time)
Gabriel Esteban Echeverría Cubello, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Many hypotheses have been formulated to elucidate the underlying causes of irregular migration. In essence, two opposing arguments have been advanced. On the one hand, the "zombie state" concept explains irregularity as the result of states' inability to control migration flows in the context of globalisation. Conversely, the notion of an "almighty state" posits that, to advance its own or other social interests, the state may "produce" or "favour" the existence of irregularity. While these theories undoubtedly shed light on crucial aspects, they are constrained by three significant limitations. Firstly, they offer mono-causal explanations, which fail to account for the complex and multifaceted nature of irregular migration. Secondly, they tend to overstate the state's role, even when it is declining. Thirdly, they cannot explain the emergence of irregular migration within different contexts. These theoretical limitations can be linked, among various causes, to the general lack of comparative empirical research on irregular migration.
The presentation will discuss the findings of a comparative study of irregular migration within two distinct contexts. In particular, this study examines the migratory trajectories and lived experiences of Ecuadorian irregular migrants residing in Amsterdam and Madrid. The objective was to ascertain the specific forms of irregular migration in different societies and how it manifests. The presentation will discuss three aspects: the legal trajectories of migrants and their experiences of controls, the labour trajectories, and access to crucial necessities such as housing and healthcare. Based on this analysis, which demonstrates the existence of different irregular migration realities, a proposal for a systemic, differential understanding of irregular migration will be advanced.
2 - 3 pm (UK time)
David Kaufmann, ETH Zürich & Sarah Schilliger, Universität Bern and ETH Zürich
In recent years, we have observed growing activism by municipalities and local civil society actors calling for “sanctuary” or “solidarity cities” and the inclusion of migrants without legal status in public service provision for formal rights protections and democratic participation. A multiplicity of studies have shown that these policies and practices vary greatly, depending on place-specific and path-dependent legal, political, and financial conditions and the interactions between governments and civil society actors. These policies and practices are products of complex policy-formulation processes. To develop a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of these dynamics, we will examine the processes of negotiating and contesting the implementation of municipal identification cards (City Cards) in Bern and Zurich. We adopt a process-oriented and relational perspective in which the different policies, practices and actors are analysed in their complex (cooperative/conflictive) interplay. City Cards have not yet been implemented in either city (as of autumn 2024), but both are developing context-specific policy approaches.
2 - 3 pm (UK time)
Tiziana Caponio, Università di Torino and Collegio Carlo Alberto
Over the last few years, and particularly since 2014, the EU has received unprecedented numbers of migrants and asylum-seekers, often in an unorderly way, which has led to a growing presence of migrants and refugees in scarcely prepared small and medium-sized towns and rural areas. Building upon some of the critical findings of the Whole-COMM Project, in this presentation, I aim to answer the main research question of the project, namely: how do the various actors whose actions affect local communities decide, implement and act upon local policies related to the integration of post-2014 migrants in small and medium-sized towns and rural areas? After a brief overview of Whole-COMM case selection and methodology, I will illustrate the project’s critical findings concerning local inclusion policies, frames held by actors involved in integration governance, governance relations, and migrants’ access to services. The main goal will be to identify the main obstacles that our research suggests can prevent the emergence of more robust and inclusive responses to migrant integration in small and medium-sized towns and rural areas.