An open discussion in an Open School
As the GAPs research programme draws to a close, the ΕΚΚΕ team organised a public discussion to present the project’s findings on Sunday, 22 February, at the Open School for Migrants of Piraeus. The researchers presented the results of the study in light of a key finding: that the migration‑return policies of the European Union and its member states rely heavily on coercion. Whether through the implementation of formal deportations (let alone informal pushbacks from border zones such as those in Greece) or through the softer forms of pressure embedded in “voluntary” return programmes, the common thread…
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GAPs Final Conference Examines the Future of Return Migration Governance
The GAPs Project Final Conference, “Navigating Return Migration: What Next? Diplomacy, Infrastructures, and Pathways Beyond”, took place on 22–23 January 2026 at Akdeniz University in Antalya, Türkiye. The conference brought together scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to critically examine how return migration is governed in an era of geopolitical uncertainty, externalised border regimes, and increasingly non-linear mobility trajectories.
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Strengthening Academia-Policy Dialogue on Migration: Insights from the Horizon Europe GAPs Project in Poland
On December 18, 2025, an online seminar co-organised by the Migration Analytical Centre of the Office for Foreigners and the Centre of Migration Research at the University of Warsaw convened researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to tackle a pressing question in migration governance: how can research meaningfully inform return policies?
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“Imprisonment and return: Greece in the landscape of European policies on migrant returns” GAPs Public Forum:
On November 21, 2025, a Public Forum entitled “Imprisonment and Return: Greece in the landscape of European policies on migrant returns” was organized in Athens to discuss the findings of the GAPs research project: De-centring the Study of Migrant Returns and Readmission Policies in Europe and Beyond…
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Two peer-reviewed academic articles authored by members of the GAPs research team have been published in the CEEMR review
This week, two peer-reviewed academic articles authored by members of the GAPs research team have been published in the Central and Eastern European Migration Review (CEEMR), further strengthening the project’s scholarly outputs and international visibility. Both publications directly align with the GAPs…
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GAPs Panel at the ESA RN35 Midterm Conference, Athens (27 November 2025)
On 27-28 November 2025, the European Sociological Association (ESA) RN35 held the Sociology of Migration Midterm Conference in Athens, Greece, in collaboration with the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The Conference’s theme was Sociology of Migration after the 2015 ‘Migrant Crisis’, focusing on the impact of crises on migration and migration research…
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GLOCAL Lecture on ‘Deportation and Migration Diplomacy in Contentious Times’ at Radboud University
On December 8, 2025, Zeynep Şahin Mencütek, GAPs researcher at BICC, delivered a GLOCAL lecture titled ‘Deportation and Migration Diplomacy in Contentious Times’.at Radboud University. Hosted by Nora Stel, the event brought together more than 25 students and faculty in person, alongside online participants…
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UNN Research Team at Dissemination Event and Media Engagement Highlights Realities of Nigerian Returnees
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) research team has unveiled groundbreaking findings from the GAPs Project, shedding light on the lived realities of Nigerian returnees. The dissemination event, hosted at Rockview Hotel in Owerri, brought together academics, government officials, civil society organizations, traditional leaders, and media representatives to discuss the…
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PRESS RELEASE: MEPs Warn Return Policies Must Be Developed with Scientific Community, Not Driven by Politics
On November 19, 2025 at the European Parliament, a stark warning was issued that the New Common European System for Returns (the “proposal”) is being shaped by political rhetoric rather than robust scientific evidence, risking the criminalisation of irregular migrants and the stripping of existing human rights protections…
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