The FAMIMOVE European Conference gathered together more than 120 experts, academics, lawyers, judges and stakeholders from 7 different EU Member States, to discuss the latest developments in the law and policy framework applicable to the families of non-EU citizens on the move.
The Conference was held in Brussels, at the salle Felicien Catter of the Fondation Universitaire, strategically located in the center of the EU capital.
The Conference took place on two days, 24 and 25 July. It was introduced by Costanza Honorati (University of Milano-Bicocca) and Marta Pertegás Sender (Maastricht University). On the first day where scheduled a Panel on Non-EU families on the move: the framework of migration law, between EU and national law, which featured speeches and presentations by Ellen Desmet (University of Gent), Helen Wray (University of Exeter) and Caterina Fratea (University of Verona).
A specific session devoted to discuss and debate the results of the three FAMIMOVE Transnational Roundtables on Guardianship decisions, Early Marriages and Kafala was chaired by Fabienne Jault (UVSQ) in the afternoon of the first day. Each Transnational Roundtable was presented by two participants: for Guardianship, Giuseppe Vinciguerra and Orsolya Szeibert (ELTE University); for Early Marriages, Leontine Bruijnen (Gent University) and Elizabeth Hartley; for Kafala, Amélie Demange and Mayela Celis Aguilar (Maastricht University). Each presentation was accompained by discussion and exchange with the participants, who interacted with the speakers many times with their questions and comments. The session on the Transnational Roundtable was followed by the conference social dinner which took place at the premises of the Fondation Universitaire.
The second day opened with an introductory speech by Jean-Yves Carlier, Emeritus Professor at the Université catholique de Louvain, on PIL and EU Law in Family Migration: The role of the Judge: from compassion to rights. The speech paid tribute to the figure of the judge in migration law and guided the public in an enhanced understanding of his role in providing a direction and a meaning into the case law.
The second half of the morning session featured a Roundtable on How can PIL interact with EU Migration and Asylum Law? chaired by Philippe Lortie (First Secretary of the HCCH) with interventions by Thalia Kruger (University of Antwerp), Iris Goldner Lang (University of Zagreb), Angele Sears-Debono (European Commission, DG Justice), Anna Schmidt (European Commission, DG Home), Céline Chateau (European Parliament, DROI) and Ursula Rölke (International Social Service). The roundtable after the morning break in the early afternoon with a lively discussion and debate.
The Conference was concluded by the remarks of Jolien Janse on behalf of the FAMIMOVE Advisory Board. After almost two days of presentations, speeches and discussion, the participants left Brussels on the 25 June 2024 after the farewell lunch.
The Organisers (University of Milan-Bicocca) wish to thank the Coordinator (Maastricht University) and all of the Research Units of the FAMIMOVE Network (Gent, ELTE Budapest, UVSQ, Münster and Lund) for their support in making the Conference a crucial moment of exchange, debate and discussion in the last part of the Project.
The Programme of the FAMIMOVE European Conference can be downloaded here.
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