Global: The global rise of anti-refugee reform

Centre for Refugee Studies at York University, Toronto
Annual Student Conference: Call for Abstracts

Increasing the Securitization of Borders and the Politics of Forced Migration: The Global Rise of Anti-Refugee Reform

April 29-30, 2011

The Centre for Refugee Studies (CRS) Student Caucus is pleased to announce that the Annual Student Conference will take place on April 29th and 30th at York University, Toronto, Canada. This event offers graduate and undergraduate students across disciplines with a keen interest in migration and refugee issues the opportunity to present and discuss their research ideas with fellow students, academics, professionals, frontline practitioners, researchers, scholars and all those interested in forced migration issues.

Canada has been recently shaken by a backlash against refugees. This fall the Conservative federal government introduced Bill C-49, an Act that seeks to deter human smuggling but ultimately criminalizes migrants seeking refuge in Canada. Not only does the Act strongly discourage asylum seekers from coming to Canada, but if they do arrive, they are homogeneously considered ‘irregular’ asylum seekers, and are subject to mandatory unreviewable detention, and face limits on their refugee appeal, healthcare services, family reunification rights, and so forth. Bill C-49 is just one, among many, pieces of proposed legislation that works to restrict the rights and freedoms of displaced peoples. The aim of this conference is to explore and interrogate key issues and concerns around the broad topic of the increasing securitization of borders and the politics of forced migration. We hope to reveal some of the lived experiences, NGO/grassroots advocacy, theoretical research premises, and practical policies that could help challenge and bring social justice to vulnerable groups of people involved in the forced migration process. To address these and other key issues, the wide-ranging theme for this year’s conference is Increasing the Securitization of Borders and the Politics of Forced Migration: The Global Rise of Anti-Refugee Reform. This overarching theme seeks to embrace a comprehensive and interdisciplinary discussion of forced human migration. We welcome you to submit proposals on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:

* Forced Migration and The Refugee Process
* State Boundaries and Sovereignty
* International Human Rights of Migrants
* Gender and The Politics of Identity and Forced Migration
* Racialization and Forced Migration
* Children and Refugee Youth
* Social and Settlement Services (i.e., healthcare, housing, employment, etc.)
* Environment and Climate Change
* Human Trafficking and Smuggling
* "Irregular" Migration

Submissions that fall under the category of visual, audio, and performing arts are also welcome. All acceptable art submissions will be exhibited at the conference location. Group/panel submissions are also invited.

A selection of the top completed papers presented at the conference will be published in a journal of conference proceedings.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION
Individuals or groups wishing to participate in the conference MUST submit a 250-word abstract by March 4th, 2011.

Abstract submissions MUST be accompanied by the following:
1. Name(s) of presenter(s)
2. Key presenter e-mail address
3. Title of Abstract
4. A short personal profile (no more than 150 words)
5. Indication of whether the presentation will be made by a panel or an individual
6. Indication of the type of audio-visual aids needed (i.e., projector, laptop, DVD player etc.)

Abstracts should be submitted electronically to [email][email protected] by March 4th, 2011

For more information please contact Abetha Mahalingam at [email][email protected] or Oana Petrica at [email][email protected] or visit: http://www.yorku.ca/crs