Governments in developed countries face the challenge of managing diversity related to migratory processes. Many questions arise though: How to build up integrative societies? What is the response of welfare states in the reception of migrants and refugees - particularly in a context of redefinition of the concept of welfare? To what extent are the human rights of migrants and refugees respected? In the EU context some steps have been taken to define a common immigration, a common European asylum system and also a framework for a common integration policy. However, the so called “refugee crisis” erupting in summer 2016 put the whole system at stake. To make things worse, xenophobic attitudes and opinions have become more and more generalised amongst public opinion leaders and politicians. Social workers are called to play an important role in this framework, not only by providing proper information to users, by mediating in intercultural conflicts or by denouncing violations in Human Rights, but also by collecting relevant information regarding the effectiveness of active integration policies or the emergence of racist behaviours. It is not casual that one of the priorities of the Directorate General for Research and Innovation is precisely research on migration and asylum, as was highlighted in a conference hosted by this DG in Brussels in 5th and 6th February 2016. Research on this field is not new: Dominelli (2008) , Dominelli & Moosa Mitha (2014), Reichert (2011) or Dean (2015) amongst others have reflected on aspects related to immigration, integration, citizenship and the response of welfare policies.
This Special Interest Group seeks to share common intuitions, questions and answers regarding integration processes in multicultural societies, but also aims at networking and collaborating in common research initiatives susceptible to be funded by the EU or other actors.
Aims of the Special Interest Group
1. Identify, explore, evaluate and compare international responses to migration and asylum in the context of the different integration models.
2. Develop innovative and shared approaches to analysing social work in migration and asylum.
3. Inform, synthesise and critically analyse contemporary global narratives and discourses about integration, welcoming societies, conditionality and rights of migrants and refugees.
4. Establish a platform to present and share knowledge and learning which contributes to a better understanding of the purpose of social work and the advancement of social justice and community wellbeing.
Conveners:
Pascal Debruyne Pascal.debruyne@odisee.be
Pascal Debruyne is a PhD in Political and Social Sciences. He works as a lecturer and researcher on asylum and migration at Odisee University. His work focuses on migration policies at large, social work and migration, family reunification and undocumented families.
Marina Rota Marina.Rota@ugent.be
I’m a Sociologist with postgraduate studies in Criminology in Greece and Belgium. I hold a PhD in Sociology from Panteion University in Athens and have spent most of my career working in migration and asylum, particularly with unaccompanied refugee minors and victims of human trafficking. Over the past 19 years, I’ve been actively involved in training frontline professionals to identify and support people in vulnerable situations. I’m currently working as a consultant on humanitarian affairs, research, and training, while also pursuing a second PhD at the University of Ghent, focusing on the trajectories of unaccompanied minors in the EU.
Lior Birger Liorbirger@tauex.tau.ac.il,
Lior Birger, PhD, is a lecturer at the School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University and a social worker. She has been working for more than a decade in psycho-social services for/with individuals and families in situations of forced migration in Israel and Germany. Her research interests include social work practice with people experiencing forced migration and human trafficking.
Social work in times of war and displacement: call for contributions
a half-day SIG event by the SIG group 'Social Work Research on Migration and Asylum'
Social work is firmly connected with the social policies and politics in the welfare state. In times of 'stability,' its agenda is focused on social mediation, redistribution and its political position in the welfare state to defend social rights. However, times of 'turmoil', such as those driven by war, conflicts and forced displacement, may require different practical and ethical positioning for the social work profession. In the context of war and displacement, social work's involvement usually occurs within one of three domains: with internally displaced persons, at the border, or with international forced migrants and people on the move at transit or 'receiving' countries.
What role is there for social work in times of war and forced displacement in each of these domains? What does it mean to strive for social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people in such contexts? What are the specific epistemological, methodological, and ethical questions that war and displacement pose for social work research?
This half-day SIG event by the group 'Social Work Research on Migration and Asylum' will strive to reflect on these and other questions, considering the ongoing realities of war, conflict, and forced displacement around the world. We invite abstracts (250 words) for contributions/interventions of 10 minutes each, that will include reflections on specific challenges/dilemmas/ethical and methodological questions that relate to or arise from social work research in times of war and displacement. What can be learned from the offered contribution for social work research, practice and education?
We encourage each contributor to clearly position their offered intervention in one of the three domains (social work research with internally displaced persons/at the border/with international forced migrants and people on the move at transit or 'receiving' countries). The contributions will be followed by an open discussion, with an attempt to bring to the surface overarching themes, reflections and lessons.
The deadline for submission is December 6th 2024. Email addresses for submission: Pascal.debruyne@odisee.be , Liorbirger@tauex.tau.ac.il, Marina.Rota@ugent.be
We look forward to receiving your proposals.
