WS23 – Migrants (both internal and from abroad)

In partnership with :

Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament d’Acció Social i Ciutadania. Secretaria per la Immigració : www.gencat.net/benestar/index.htm
Fundació CIDOB : www.cidob.org/

Workshop presentation

The rapid transformations of European and Chinese societies, as much at the demographic level as economic level, are generating migrations of a considerable scale: from the countryside to the cities, from high population growth areas to low population growth areas, from regions of poor countries towards regions of rich countries. These migrations in times of peace have become a major fact of our two societies.

In Europe it’s today more often than not cross-border migrations, from the east to the west of the European Union or from the African and Asian South towards Europe. In China it’s more a question of internal migrations from the countryside to the cities and from inner China to the Chinese coast. The differences here are not inconsiderable: the migration in Europe strengthens the multi-cultural and multi-denominational character of societies much more than do the internal migrations in China. But there are nevertheless some striking similarities: insecurity of statuses; mix of legal, desired and underground immigration that the authorities would like to regulate; challenge of social and economic gaps and inequality; and challenge of personal or trans-generational integration in the host society. As a general rule, what the authorities and media have to say on migrants prevails over what the migrants themselves have to say. These latter often have no voice or status, and sometimes a real invisibility in society is expected from them. But what do they say? How do they experience their adventure and their status? From their own point of view, what are the challenges of economic, social and cultural integration? What rights do they demand, and what responsibilities do they desire to take on?

This workshop will bring together migrants, and not – as is usually done – professionals on migration topics, so that they can reflect on the issue.