Migration and the European elections: how to go beyond polarising campaigns?

These and other questions will be discussed by researchers from the BRIDGES project and two Members of the European Parliament. The BRIDGES project has brought together researchers and civil society actors from 12 institutions in and beyond Europe over three years. The VUB’s Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Migration and Minorities (BIRMM) led a research line on the impact of EU-funded information campaigns targeting potential migrants in this joint endeavour. Together, they sought to better understand how certain narratives on migration are getting dominant – and also how they are challenged and may get altered. They will present their research findings, before giving the floor to two distinguished politicians working on migration issues and running in the next European elections. 

How do polarising narratives around migration emerge in the political debate? How can political parties and other civil society actors best respond to them? Is a different and more positive image of migration possible?

Florian Trauner, co-director of the Brussels Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Migration and Minorities (BIRMM) at VUB, will moderate the discussion with researchers from the BRIDGES project and two MEPs.

- Tineke Strik is an MEP on behalf of the Dutch party GroenLinks and focuses on European migration and asylum policy.

- Juan Fernando López Aguilar is MEP for the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and focuses on fundamental rights and crime.

- Blanca Garcés (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs) is an expert on immigration and asylum policy from a comparative perspective. She has researched policy and political discourse on asylum in Europe, with a focus on border policies and state reception systems.

- Virginie Guiraudon (Sciences Po) is director of the Centre national de la recherche scientifique in France and an expert in European policy, especially anti-discrimination, immigration, asylum and border control policies.

- Francesco Vigneri (Istituto Affari Internazionali) is a researcher at the Rome-based Istituto Affari Internazionali where he studies the link between media narratives and migration policies.

With this panel discussion, we want to engage with policymakers, civil society, researchers and anyone who wants to be better informed about migration issues and the impact of polarising and positive narratives on migration. 

This panel conversation is part of the Horizon 2020 BRIDGES project final conference. You can register soon for this full day conference on February 1!