Migration: Displacement and Development in the MENA region

In the past fifteen years the MENA region has been in the eye of the refugee displacement storm, experiencing dramatic waves of refugees and forced migration. Although episodes of forced migration are not new in this part of the world, today there are 20 million displaced people in the MENA, a number that rises to 54 million when including economic migrants. This massive movement of peoples is having profound effects on territorial fragmentation, societal transformation and the practice of sovereignty. This symposium intends to tackle the issue of migration through an interdisciplinary, multi-sided approach, which is also peculiar to the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter. The objective is to bring together scholars whose interest in migration in the Arab world and the wider Mediterranean can trigger meaningful comparative debate. By focusing on several themes and with different perspectives, this would allow a comprehensive discussion of major aspects of migration and displacement that is affecting the region and its people. To register, please email bjb205@exeter.ac.uk by Monday 22 January 2018, stating any dietary requirements. The full programme is attached.