We were delighted to welcome members of the South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX) programme to GSF to give a seminar entitled ‘Weaponising Migration: Challenges For Europe’. It’s our eighth such collaboration and we were particularly pleased to co-host this event during SEESOX’s 20th anniversary year.
Since 2015 the European Union, the Western Balkans, Turkey and the Middle East have been at the heart of a migration emergency which causes distress for the refugees and migrants and creates social grievances as well as inflammatory inter-state relations.
With this in mind, at a joint seminar held at the National Liberal Club on Wednesday 22nd June, an expert panel of speakers from SEESOX focused on the notion of ‘migration diplomacy’ by asking key questions including:
- How is migration diplomacy linked to foreign policymaking?
- What are the linkages between migration diplomacy and geopolitical considerations?
- Is it compatible with democratic politics?
- What is the current state of the EU-Turkey deal?
- Is the externalisation of the EU’s migration management to third countries sustainable?
The following speakers took part and the full seminar programme, including biographies, can be found here.
- Dr. Başak Kale
Associate Professor of International Relations & Chair of European Studies Program, Middle East Technical University, Ankara - Dr. Mehmet Karli
Co-ordinator, Programme on Contemporary Turkey, South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX), St Antony’s College, University of - Mr. Jonathan Scheele
SEESOX Research Associate, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford - Ms. Aslı Töre
Research Assistant, Director of South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX), St Antony’s College, University of Oxford