The Center for Research and Studies in Sociology (CIES-Iscte) of Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa hosted the 21st Annual Conference of IMISCOE (International Migration Research Network), which took place between July 2 and 5, 2024.

The event, one of the most significant in the field of migration and integration studies in Europe, brought together approximately 1,000 participants, including experts, researchers, academics, policymakers and representatives of civil society organizations from all over the world.

The conference, whose theme was “Migration as a social construction. A reflexive turn”, addressed crucial issues related to migration, integration, asylum policies and the social and economic implications of these phenomena in contemporary societies.

At a time when immigration was a central theme in the public debate in Portugal, the conference served as a privileged space for discussing these issues.

Over the four days of the conference, there were a series of plenary sessions, around 300 panel discussions, workshops and networking activities with PhD students, providing a space for interaction between participants and encouraging future collaborations.

The local organizers of the event highlighted the importance of critical thinking about the social processes associated with the construction and categorization of being a 'migrant' and their descendants. The conference also emphasized the interdependence between different social structures and dimensions that characterize the phenomenon of migration.

Holding the 21st IMISCOE Annual Conference at Iscte reinforced Portugal's position as an important centre for debate and research on migration and integration, contributing to a more inclusive understanding of these complex phenomena.
The next conference will be entitled “Decentering Migration Studies” and will be held in Paris from July 1 to 4, 2025.