On 27 June 2025, the Amsterdam Centre for Migration and Refugee Law (ACMRL) will proudly present a special farewell symposium celebrating the career of Professor Thomas Spijkerboer.
Thomas worked at the VU Amsterdam as a professor of migration law from 2000 to 2024, during which time he founded the Migration Law Section — an ever-growing group of scholars that came to be known as the Amsterdam Centre for Migration and Refugee Law. All scholars, colleagues, students and friends are invited to attend this event.
Programme Overview
Farewell Seminar Thomas Spijkerboer
Date & Time: 27 June 2025, 13:00 – 17:00
Venue: Aurora, Main Building, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Registration: Please register via secretariaat.sb.rch@vu.nl or fill out this form.
Chair: Lieneke Slingenberg
- 13:00 – 13:30 | Coffee/Tea
- 13:30 – 13:45 | Opening Remarks by Martijn Stronks
- 13:45 – 14:00 | The Thomas Effect by Johanne Søndergaard
- 14:00 – 14:45 | The Notion of ‘Protection’ in Gender-Related Asylum Claims: Game-Changing Developments at the European Courts? by Janna Wessels and Younous Arbaoui. Respondent: Hemme Battjes.
- 14:45 – 15:15 | Break
- 15:15 – 16:00 | Reflections on Practical Ways to Create the Space for Decolonising Migration Research by Amanda Bisong. Respondent: Tamara Last.
- 16:00 – 16:15 | Intermezzo
- 16:15 – 17:00 | Migrant Voting in Bonaire by Jordan Dez. Respondent: Guno Jones.
- 17:00 | Drinks Reception at Café Living, campus Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
The programme is available to download here.