Migration Conference 2026

The Academy of Law and Migration (ADiM) is pleased to invite junior and senior scholars, as well as practitioners and policymakers, to the 2026 Migration Conference, hosted by the University of Tuscia (Viterbo, Italy) from 27 to 29 May 2026. The Conference will take place only a few days before the entry into application of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum (June 2026), offering a timely opportunity to critically assess its promises, challenges, and implications for the right to asylum and the broader European migration governance. The event will provide an international platform to present and discuss cutting-edge research, exchange policy insights, and foster collaboration among academics, legal professionals, civil society actors, and institutional stakeholders engaged in migration governance.

ADiM is a scientific network that brings together more than 500 migration researchers. Established in 2018 at the University of Tuscia, it is the leading Italian platform for public debate and scientific research on issues of asylum, migration, and citizenship. The 2026 Migration Conference is organised with and co-funded by the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on the integration of migrants in Europe (IntoME), and the PRIN 2022 projects “Legal Pathways for Refugees in the Euro-Mediterranean Context: The Feasibility of Processing Asylum Claims outside the EU” (EUROPATHWAYS).

Plenary sessions

The 2026 conference will feature three plenary sessions:

• Opening Keynotes on “The Asylum Crisis” by Kristin Fabbe (EUI), Hiroshi Motomura (UCLA), and Peter Walsh (University of Oxford)
• Roundtable on “The EU Pact and its Implementation: The Crucial Role of Judicial and Administrative Authorities”

Parallel Panel Sessions (28-29 May)

On 28 and 29 May, parallel thematic sessions will be organised in response to this call. Social and networking activities will follow, allowing participants to discover the historic and cultural treasures of Viterbo and its surroundings.

Contributions may explore the legal, institutional, and political transformations of asylum and migration governance in Europe, from international to local levels. We welcome proposals from a broad range of disciplines (law, political science, sociology, anthropology, history, philosophy, and other relevant fields), addressing – among others – the following themes:

The Right to Asylum: Evolution and Crisis

• The right to asylum: origins and rationales (historical and philosophical perspectives)
• The erosion of the right to asylum in Europe
• Asylum models outside Europe (Africa, Americas, Asia and Oceania)
• Border procedures, accelerated procedures, and “fictional” entry zones
• Detention, return, and the use of technology in the control of mobility
• Penalisation practices shaping and restricting asylum protection
• Solidarity, responsibility-sharing, and fair distribution mechanisms
• The role of courts and judicial dialogue in protecting asylum rights
• Legal pathways for economic migrants and refugees: their impact on asylum

The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum

• Legal architecture and implementation challenges of the Pact
• Screening Regulation, Asylum Procedures Regulation, and Crisis Regulation
• Enforcement and monitoring mechanisms
• Interplay between EU agencies and national administrations
• Externalisation and cooperation with third countries
• Impacts on fundamental rights and the rule of law
• The EU Pact and international law: Terms of compatibility

Access to Protection and Inclusion

• Legal pathways for refugees (talent schemes, resettlement, humanitarian visas, corridors)
• Temporary protection and lessons from Ukraine
• Legal Pathways for refugees (e.g. Resettlement, Humanitarian Visas, University Corridors)
• Complementary national protection (e.g. Article 10(3) of the Italian Constitution)
• New vulnerabilities (e.g. climate refugees) and future protection frameworks
• Integration policies and inclusion strategies (e.g. Community Sponsorship)
• Access to citizenship and long-term resident statuses
• Family reunification, housing and reception conditions
• Social rights and case law of constitutional and European courts
• Access to justice

Applications must be submitted by 20 February 2026 via the online form.

Individual and panel proposals shall include:

• an abstract, in English or Italian, of an individual presentation (max. 500 words) or a full panel (max. 1000 words)
• a short biography of the applicant or panelists (up to five persons, including chairperson and discussants).

Presentations and panels may be held in English or Italian.

Applicants will be informed of the outcome by 5 March 2026.

Speakers are not expected to submit a written version of their paper. The final version of the papers presented at the Conference may be submitted for publication in the ADiM Blog and the ADiM Yearbook, subject to positive peer review. Subject to peer review, the best papers will also be considered for publication in Italian and international law journals.

Travel and accommodation costs will be covered by the participants. Further information on the organisation of side and leisure activities will be provided in due course.

• 20 February 2026: Deadline for submitting panel and individual proposals
• 5 March 2026: Notification of accepted proposals
• 27-29 May 2026: Migration Conference, University of Tuscia (Viterbo, Italy)

Barbara G. BELLO, University of Tuscia
Martina GALLI, University of Tuscia
Francesco L. GATTA, University of Palermo
Claudio DE MARTINO, University of Foggia
Paola PANNIA, University of Milan
Federica PASSARINI, University of Tuscia
Mario SAVINO, University of Tuscia
Serena STACCA, University of Naples SOB
Michela TUOZZO, University of Naples Federico II
Elena VALENTINI, University of Bologna
Flavio V. VIRZÌ, Sapienza University of Rome
Daniela VITIELLO, University of Tuscia

Giulia DEL TURCO, University of Tuscia
Nicolò ACQUARELLI, University of Tuscia
Prevail ADEWALE-ALFRED, Univ. of Tuscia
Giampiero CASSOLA, University of Tuscia