Call for papers: African Migration Governance: Insights, Innovations, and Interventions

The EFFEXT project, in collaboration with Addis Ababa University's Department of Social Anthropology, is calling for submissions to their final conference, African Migration Governance: Insights, Innovations, and Interventions.

The conference will be held on December 2nd and 3rd 2024 at Addis Ababa University.  

Call for Abstracts

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit abstracts by 10 August 2024 that offer a compelling narrative and significant insights into the complexities of migration governance within the African contexts, and relevant contexts in the Middle East.

We are particularly interested in abstracts that:

• Present original empirical data utilizing qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods approaches.
• Engage with strong theoretical frameworks that help us understand the nuances of migration governance in Africa. This could involve frameworks related to political science, sociology, anthropology, economics, or other relevant disciplines.
• Make a significant contribution to the field by offering fresh insights or challenge existing paradigms surrounding African migration governance.
• Focus on African contexts, with the possibility of drawing comparisons or connections to relevant contexts in the Middle East.

We invite scholars to submit abstracts that engage with a wider range of themes such as:

• The role of civil society and local actors: Examining the roles of civil society organizations, grassroots movements, and community leaders in shaping or mediating migration practices on the ground.
• Informal and everyday responses to migration: Investigating the informal ways in which communities manage migration at the local level. This could include social networks that support migrants, informal cross-border practices, or else.
• The interplay of global migration agendas and local realities: Exploring how national, regional, and local migration policies interact with global agendas and external interventions (e.g. EU externalisation policies).
• African agency in navigating migration governance: Analysing how African states and communities respond to and navigate current migration governance frameworks.
• Comparative analyses across different contexts: Comparative analyses of migration governance practices in different African states, or comparing African and Middle Eastern approaches.

Submission instructions

• Submit your abstracts (200-250 words) along with your bio(s) and a brief description of the key insights you wish attendees to take away from your presentation.
• Use our online submission form HERE.
• We prioritise scholars based in Africa and the Middle East. A limited number of scholarships will be available to cover travel and accommodation expenses, if you need travel support, please note this in the submission form.

Important dates

10 August : Abstract submission deadline

20 August: Notification of acceptance

30 September: Submission of extended abstracts/draft papers (min. 3000words)

About the conference

Held at Addis Ababa University, this conference will center on African perspectives in migration governance. The conference will examine the development and current practices of migration governance across Africa, and a focus on relevant contexts in the Middle East. The conference consists of two parts:

• Day 1 (December 2, 2024): Academic Seminar: This day will be dedicated to an in-depth academic exploration. Researchers will share their empirical findings and theoretical insights, fostering discussion and exchange.
• Day 2 (December 3, 2024): Policy-Dialogue Seminar: This will bring together academics and policymakers for knowledge exchange through presentations. Discussions will center on future developments and knowledge needs in African migration governance.

Opportunities for publication and future collaborations

We look forward to receiving papers that contribute to a robust academic discussion on migration governance dynamics in Africa, offering a platform to highlight and discuss avenues for future academic and policy-oriented collaborations. Accepted authors are expected to participate during both days of the conference. They may be asked to contribute during the policy-dialogue seminar (Day 2) in addition to presenting their paper at the academic conference (Day 1). The attending authors will be invited to publish research notes to be featured as part of a blog series on the Public Anthropologist blog at CMI, discussed in a podcast, and cross-posted at the project webpage www.effext.org. All with the aim of providing a platform for further dissemination of research results. The conference will also include a discussion session, focusing on future research needs and funding opportunities in the field.