Migration and Politics: Power, Governance, and Contestation in a Mobile World

The Politics & International Affairs Unit of the Athens Institute is organizing a Microsymposium on “Migration and Politics: Power, Governance, and Contestation in a Mobile World” as part of the 24^th Annual International Conference on Politics & International Studies, 15-19 June 2026, Athens, Greece sponsored by the Athens Journal of Politics & International Affairs.

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Migration has become a central issue in contemporary political debates, shaping electoral outcomes, public policies, and struggles over identity, sovereignty, and rights. Across regions and political systems, migration intersects with questions of governance, citizenship, security, and social cohesion, while also revealing broader dynamics of inequality and power in a globalized world.

This microsymposium invites papers that explore the political dimensions of migration from diverse theoretical, methodological, and empirical perspectives. We welcome contributions that examine migration as both a cause and consequence of political processes, as well as research that critically engages with how migration is governed, politicized, and experienced.

Possible themes include, but are not limited to:

• Migration governance at local, national, regional, and global levels
• Borders, border regimes, and the politics of mobility and immobility
• Migration, citizenship, and political belonging
• Electoral politics, populism, and the politicization of migration
• Migration, nationalism, and identity politics
• Migrants as political actors: participation, activism, and resistance
• Asylum, refugee politics, and international protection regimes
• Race, gender, class, and inequality in migration politics
• Media, discourse, and narratives around migration
• Comparative and transnational perspectives on migration and politics

The microsymposium is open to scholars from political science, sociology, anthropology, geography, international relations, and related fields. Both theoretical and empirical contributions are encouraged, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches.

You may participate as a presenter of one paper and/or an attendee.

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Please submit an abstract (by email only) to: atiner@atiner.gr, using the abstract submission form by 24 February 2026.

Abstracts should include the following details: Title of Paper, Full Name (s), Affiliation, Current Position, an email address, and at least 3 keywords that best describe the subject of your submission. Decisions are reached within 4 weeks.

Fee structure information is available on www.atiner.gr/fees.

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From the Athens Institute’s long experience these events bring together scholars from different countries and disciplines which may result to research collaborations and joint publications. These events include a pragmatic symposium (as organized in Ancient Athens but fine-tuned to synchronous ethics), a special one-day educational island tour, a Mycenae visit, an Athens educational walking tour, a day trip to Delphi, and an ancient Corinth and Cape Sounion visit. Details of the social program are available here.