Call for paper - FINAL Conference

 “There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. 

There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, 

that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want 

and that they can grow up in peace."

-- Kofi Annan.

Call for papers

The Final Conference Fundamental Rights of Migrant Children in the EU: Current Challenges and Opportunities will convene in Pisa (Italy) on 11 July 2022. This event is planned to be held in person, subject to any development in the covid-19 health emergency. Remote connection is also available. 

The overarching theme of the final conference 

The best interests of the child, their rights and protection shall be of primary concern under every circumstance, as well as the alleviation of children’s vulnerabilities. Not only are children considered as vulnerable per se, in light of their age and maturity, but there are further elements that could exacerbate their inherent vulnerability, such as their health status, gender identity and sexual orientation, nationality and statelessness, migration status, and whether they are together with, or separated from, their family. In particular, migrant children are at heightened risk of both physical and mental harm, potentially disrupting their early development and integration, and the conditions in their country of origin, transfer or destination might aggravate their vulnerability. Children are alarmingly over-represented in the number of refugees worldwide, almost making up half (46% or 26.4 million) of the world’s refugees in 2020. In the context of the EU, a number of multifaceted challenges give cause of severe concern in relation to the compliance with, and fulfilment of, the rights and the protection of migrant children. The conference serves as an opportunity for participants at early or advanced stage of their career to reflect upon some persisting and emerging threats to migrant children’s rights in, and at the external borders of, the EU. These challenges will be at the core of 4 (four) panels, each introduced by a Keynote speaker. 

Panel 1 – Migrant children stranded at the EU border

This panel welcomes proposals that investigate the conditions of migrant children stranded within the EU and at its external borders, with particular emphasis on the role that (supra)national policies play in endangering their rights as well as the legal implications on their protection. Case-studies that shed light on these dynamics are encouraged as well as analyses that focus on gender and minority groups among others. 

Panel 2 – Migrant children’s vulnerability to the covid-19 pandemic

This panel welcomes proposals aimed at analysing the multiple impacts of covid-19 on migrant children in the EU and on their vulnerability from multiple perspectives and to investigate the role that child-specific responses should play in managing migration during pandemic times. Contributions presenting best practices, case-studies and lessons learned are also welcome. 

Panel 3 – Migrant children’s integration in the EU

This panel aims to explore the current challenges to migrant children’s integration in the EU, the role that its policy on children’s rights and inclusion can play in tackling such obstacles and whether the current migration and asylum policy is able to satisfy their immediate needs, what prevents this to happen and what needs to be done. Presentations of best practices, lessons learned and gender-based case-studies are also welcome, as well as analysis on the integration in the EU member States of migrant children fleeing war in Ukraine.

Panel 4 – migrant children, environment and climate change

This panel welcomes proposals that advance the knowledge on the link between migrant children’s fundamental rights and climate change in the context of the EU from different perspectives, including but not limited to legal and political studies, socio-anthropological, pedagogic and psychological studies, leveraging related theories, promoting relevant case-studies and unveiling opportunities. Analyses that focus on gender and minority groups, such as stateless children, indigenous children, children with disability among others are particularly welcome.

For more information about the selection criteria and the reimbursement of the costs for selected speakers see here.