Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine
Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance
Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences
Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust
Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine
Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History
Luxembourg Centre for European Law
Luxembourg Centre for Socio-Environmental Systems
The annual conference of the Geographical Migration Research working group will take place at the University of Luxembourg from 22-23 January 2026. The topic is ‘Borders in migration research – far more than territorial borders?’. The temporarily reintroduced border controls, the discussions about the future of the Schengen area and the global rise in nationalism are all evidence of this: Borders are back — politically, in the media and socially. Borders reveal themselves not only as lines, but also as dynamic and conflictual social practices that regulate mobility and supposedly organise affiliation, inclusion, and exclusion.
In geographical migration research, this brings questions of bordering, de-bordering and re-bordering into focus. How, where and by whom are borders drawn, shifted or made permeable? What role do state migration regimes, everyday discrimination and (in)visible exclusion play in these processes? And how can such border formations be researched, analysed and critically questioned?
When?
22-23 January 2026
Where?
Université du Luxembourg, Maison des Sciences Humaines, Black Box
11, Porte des Sciences, 4366 Esch-sur-Alzette
Luxembourg
The 2026 conference will take place in neighbouring Luxembourg, a small yet highly diverse country in the heart of Europe with numerous EU institutions. Nestled between Germany, France and Belgium, Luxembourg is characterised by its border locations and intensive cross-border mobility. With an exceptionally high proportion of people from migrant backgrounds (73.7 % in 2023, STATEC) and a lively multilingualism – with German, French and Luxembourgish as official languages, supplemented by English and Portuguese as important everyday languages – the country offers an exciting environment in which to explore issues related to migration and border geography.
How to register?
Registration is mandatory. Please register by 18th December 2025 by using the registration link below.