From the records of lectures and panel discussions by 22 experts from 15 countries you will find out, for instance, what the migration situation in Libya and the Mediterranean is, how people live in refugee camps in Greece, or whether development cooperation reduces migration abroad.

The 8th EMN Educational Seminar on Migration on the topic Migration in a Multilateral World was organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as the coordinator of the European Migration Network (EMN) in Slovakia on 24 – 26 August 2021.

You can listen to and watch the lectures from the seminar:

In audio podcasts on the EMN Slovakia Podcasts.

In video podcasts on the YouTube page of IOM Slovakia.

2021 Seminar in a nutshell:

Take a look and listen to the lectures from 2021:

COVID-19 and its impact on global migration trends

In the lecture, you will learn how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected mobility in the world as well as migrants and the remittances they send home. You will also find out what irregular migration across the sea to Europe looked like and how important migrant workers are in critical sectors of the European countries’ economies.

Lecture by: Frank Laczko, Director, IOM's Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC).

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Why multilateralism and the United Nations matter?

Find out what international cooperation and the United Nations (UN) in migration management look like and more information on the UN Global Compact on Migration and Refugees.

Lecture by: Miroslava Vozáryová, Director of Legal Department, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic.

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Panel discussion: How does Slovakia assist migrants and refugees?

During discussion you will find out:

• How Slovakia assist migrants and refugees in other countries and on its territory;
• What are the migration policies in Slovakia;
• What international organisations do in the field of migration.

Discussants:

• Ingrid Brocková, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic
• Ján Orlovský, Director of Migration Office, Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic
• Zuzana Vatráľová, Head of IOM Slovakia

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Current migration situation in Libya and the Mediterranean Sea

Directly from Tripoli, you will learn which routes migrants use to get to Libya and how they migrate within Libya to the Mediterranean. You will also find out how to read migration statistics if we want to get a more accurate picture of migration trends to Europe.

Lecture by: Federico Soda, Chief of IOM in Libya.

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Life inside Greek refugee camps

Hear directly from an expert in Greece about the migratory situation in the country and how the refugees, including unaccompanied migrant children, live in and outside the Greek refugee camps. You will also learn how the current crisis in Afghanistan is related to migration to Greece.

Lecture by: Gianluca Rocco, Chief of IOM in Greece.

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Debunking myths and realities on migration and development

Is poverty the main driver of migration or more an obstacle? Do you know which countries host the most refugees? In the lecture you will learn what myths and misconceptions we have about who are migrants and why they migrate. On the other hand, you will be provided with facts – what migration trends are and how migration affects the development of countries.

Lecture by: Melissa Siegel, Professor at the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance in the Netherlands.

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Migrant money as the hidden force in global economics

You will learn what remittances are, whether they are resilient to crises and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their flows in different regions of the world. You will also find out:

why the money that migrants send home to their families and communities is an important part of the world economy;

whether contributions by foreign communities which are sent to support their home countries, are higher than remittances which migrants send home to their families;

and how money from diaspora and individuals from abroad can support the development of communities in their home countries.

Lecture by: Sonia Plaza, Senior Economist at the World Bank.

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Maximizing the role of migrants’ remittances and investment for development

Wondering which countries in the world are most dependent on income from remittances and why reducing the costs for sending remittances is one of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals? In the lecture you will also find out how remittances can be used not only for consumption, but also for the development and security of migrant families and their home countries - for example, by mobilizing savings, building assets, expanding income opportunities and creating jobs.

Lecture by: Mauro Martini, Programme Officer at Financing Facility for Remittances, The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

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Migrating to opportunity: Human mobility as a development tool in the European space

Listen to why labour shortages in one country mean a loss of talent in another. From the experiences of Moldova and other Eastern Partnership countries, you will learn how the return of migrants home contributes to the development of these countries. You will also find recommendations how countries should:

• work with the diaspora of foreigners and set effective policies and programs for them,
• incorporate the return of their nationals home and their reintegration upon return into policy-making and programming.

Lecture by: Lars Johan Lönnback, Chief of IOM in Moldova.

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A Southern perspective on the migration and development

You will learn how different countries in the Global North and the Global South perceive migration and the related development of these countries. Using the example of Mexico and the USA, you will find out how (forced) migration is perceived by the migrants themselves and what priorities the Global South has in managing migration.

Lecture by: Raúl Delgado Wise, Professor at Autonomous University of Zacatecas in Mexico.

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Migrants and employers: economics of migration and the role of private sector in migration cycle

Listen to the private sector's view of why businesses and global employers need well-regulated migration and address three priorities: skills shortages in the labour market, responsible recruitment and the recognition and development of skills from abroad.

Lecture by: Stéphanie Winet, Head of Stakeholder Engagement, International Organisation of Employers (IOE).

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Labour migrants and migration policies in the EU: beliefs, evidence, and ways forward

Why should we care about migration and what is mobility in the EU? The economist will give you his views on labour markets and labour migration policies in the EU and Slovakia. You will find out how we should think about international migration and its impact on the economic stability of European countries in the future.

Lecture by: Martin Kahanec, Founder and Scientific Director, Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI).

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Navigating Labour Migration Policy in Demographic Transitions

You will find out how the demographic changes and policies regulating labour migration in the region of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and in Slovakia are interconnected. Also, what are the forecasts of demographic development for these countries and which of them is most affected by the population ageing now and in the future. You will also learn how countries can respond to ageing and what the risks of an overly restrictive or open migration policy are.

Lecture by: Michael Newson, Senior Labour Mobility and Human Development Specialist, IOM Regional Office for South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

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How does prolonged waiting affect migrants?

We often perceive migration depending on which country migrants go to or live in. But how important is time for migrants? Find out how the temporary nature of their situation and the waiting in transit, illegality or in the public offices affect migrants and refugees. And how this waiting and time is important to consider in policy making and managing irregular and forced migration in Europe. Findings are from the ethnographic fieldwork of the project WAIT – Waiting for an uncertain future: the temporalities of irregular migration (2017 – 2020).

Lecture by: Kari Anne K. Drangsland, Human Geographer & Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Bergen in Norway.

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Panel discussion: How to foster legal avenues for migrants and refugees to the EU?

During the discussion you will learn:

• Why experts call for strengthening legal channels towards the European Union and which legal pathways to the EU already exist;
• The example of sustainable recruitment of nurses from countries outside the EU for German labour market which showcases how legal migration can be beneficial for migrants, their home and receiving country;
• About the idea to enable refugees and forcibly displaced persons travel to other country for a skilled labour.

Experts in the panel:

• Tesseltje de Lange, Professor at the Radboud University in the Netherlands
• Emir Čomor, Coordinator of the project Tripple Win in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Marina Brizar, Director of the Talent Beyond Boundaries in the United Kingdom
• Kate Hooper, Policy Analyst at Migration Policy Institute (MPI) in USA

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Would you like to watch lectures from the future EMN educational events? Add YouTube page of IOM Slovakia and EMN Slovakia Podcasts page among your favourite channels.

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What is EMN Educational Seminar on Migration?

Since 2012, the seminar has created a unique educational platform in Slovakia, in which renowned experts give lectures on current topics in the field of international migration from a policy-making perspective, with information from research and practical experience with field work.

The seminar is for professionals from the public administration, non-profit sector, research institutions, academia, media and the EMN.

Part of the seminar form workshops and interactive activities, in the past, for example, a game about creating scenarios for future migration development or 360° virtual reality.

The seminar brings expert topics also to the public in the form of film screenings and discussions about migration and foreigners in the world and Slovakia.

During eight years, more than 120 speakers spoke at the seminar for more than 550 participants.

Website of the EMN seminar: www.emnseminar.sk.