9 – 10 April 2026
University of Neuchâtel

As EU border externalization policies continue, the number of fatalities in the Mediterranean and along other perilous migration routes at the EU’s external borders also continues to rise. How have EU policies evolved to reach this point? How are both new and long-standing actors taking on the role of responding to distress calls along migration routes? And what does it mean for migration scholars to conduct research in collaboration with, or sometimes among, solidarity actors? This two-day conference aims to better understand the current situation, create a space for dialogue between civil society and solidarity actors, and support migration scholars working on these issues. The event will begin with a conference on the EU’s migration deals and the production of jurisdictional irresponsibility. It will be followed by a workshop for early-career migration scholars with “hotline” activists to reflect on the ethics and methodological approaches to conducting migration research. A roundtable on border externalization, solidarity networks, and technologies on migration journeys will conclude the event.

Organization: Nina Khamsy, Marc Baumgartner, Sélim Clerc, University of Neuchâtel, nccr – on the move

Please note that the first-day public lecture and the round table do not require prior registration. If you wish to participate in the workshop, please register using this link before 25 March 2026.

For any inquiry regarding the conference, please contact Nina Khamsy (nina.khamsy@unine.ch), Marc Baumgartner (marc.baumgartner@unine.ch) or Sélim Clerc (selim.clerc@unine.ch).

Full Program and Practical Details (PDF)