Conference 'Crossing Borders', Den Haag - Hoofdinhoud

For registration please send an email to overdegrens@clingendael.nl

The number of refugees and irregular migrants reaching Europe's borders may have dropped sharply due to the EU-Turkey deal and the closure of the Western Balkan route, but the root causes of migration still remain. Countries in the region that receive large numbers of refugees are under enormous pressure and people are taking increasingly hazardous routes to Europe. A dramatic number of refugees drowned while trying to reach Europe and the irregular refugee influx produced major tensions in the European Union and fundamentally changed the political landscape in various European countries, including the Netherlands. It is therefore urgent to reflect upon the policies on migration.

In consecutive sessions all the links in the ‘migration chain’ will be covered, including the war in Syria, the dictatorship in Eritrea and the smuggling routes through Africa. It will look at ‘reception in the region’, the EU policy on external borders, steps in the direction of a deal between EU countries and Libya, the inadequate solidarity between EU member states and the integration of status holders in the Netherlands and Germany.

The authors of the book entitled 'Over de Grens; De vluchtelingencrisis als Reality Test' (Crossing Borders; The refugee crisis as a Reality Test) are joined by politicians, policy makers, academics, experts in the field and refugees in order to discuss the policies of the EU and the Netherlands regarding migration.

Programme

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  8.30: Registration and coffee
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  9.00: Opening and outline of the conference - The interconnected links of the Migration Chain

  Monika Sie Dhian Ho (General Director, Clingendael Institute)

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  9.10: Root causes (I): EU and Dutch policies vis-à-vis conflict and reception of refugees in the Middle East region

  Jan Jaap van Oostzee (PAX Netherlands), Giselle Schellekens (Manager New Ventures, SPARK), Gerard Steeghs (Special Envoy for Syria, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands), Han ten Broeke (Member of Parliament, the Netherlands, People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy)

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  10.10: Root causes (II): EU and Dutch policies vis-à-vis human rights violations and lack of perspective in Africa

  Karlijn Muiderman (Research Fellow, The Broker), Mikal Tseggai (MA Student, University of Leiden), Nathalie Lintvelt (Head of the Migration and Development Group, Stabilisation and Humanitarian Aid Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

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  11.00: Coffee break
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  11.20: EU policies vis-à-vis the EU’s external borders

  Floor El Kamouni-Janssen (Research Fellow, Clingendael), Cyrille Fijnaut (Emeritus Professor of Criminology and Criminal Law, University of Tilburg), Bram van Ojik (Member of Parliament, Green Left, Former Special Envoy on Migration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

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  12.30: Lunch
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  13.30: EU refugee and asylum policies

  Stefan Lehne (Visiting Scholar, Carnegie Europe, Brussels), Ana Uzelac (Research Fellow, Clingendael), Kati Piri (Member of European Parliament, S&D group)

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  14.30: Integration and public support for the reception of refugees

  Michael Bröning (Head of the International Policy Department, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung), Rene Cuperus (Senior Research Fellow, Wiardi Beckman Foundation), Rabin Baldewsingh (Deputy Mayor The Hague, Alderman for Social Affairs, Employment, Neighbourhood Approach, Integration Policy and Sport)

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  15.30: Tea break
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  16.00: Concluding session with a reflection on our normative and legal frameworks

  Mark Elchardus (Emeritus Professor, Free University Brussels), Myrthe Wijnkoop (Senior Strategic Advisor, Dutch Council for Refugees)

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  16.45: Conclusion of the conference and issuing of first copy of the book ‘Over de Grens; De vluchtelingencrisis als Reality Test’ to Cabinet Informer Herman Tjeenk Willink (invited)

  Monika Sie Dhian Ho (General Director, Clingendael)

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  17.00: Drinks