Multiple Forms of Migrant Precarity: Beyond "Management" of Migration to an Integrated Rights-Based Approach

In recent months, the media have been flooded with stories of migrants and refugees fleeing under great personal risk and hardship from war, conflict and poverty. The initial wave of solidarity and empathy by European citizens has quickly given way to policy approaches and a public attitude of crisis management and unfruitful attempts at burden sharing. The magnitude of what has been termed the "migrant crisis", its urgency and potential long-term implications require, more than ever, an informed debate and careful analysis of the potential implications of current policy responses.

With the pressing context of the current "migrant crisis" in mind, more than 30 researchers, activists and experts from UN organizations gathered to discuss Multiple Forms of Migrant Precarity—Beyond “Management” of Migration to an Integrated Rights-Based Approach at a workshop convened by UNRISD and members of the World Universities Network1 (WUN) on 24 September 2015. Based on new empirical research findings from Asia, Africa and America, workshop participants identified and discussed outstanding challenges to overcoming migrant precarity and moving a rights-based migration agenda forward.

UNRISD Event Briefs highlight knowledge that can improve the quality of development debates, policy and practice. They offer readers a concise overview and key highlights of the discussions at selected UNRISD project workshops, conferences and international meetings. Through these briefs, UNRISD provides information about its events and the discussions taking place, which may not otherwise be available to interested audiences.

For more information on the workshop, go to the event page.