BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:ACMRL Conference on Migration Law 2026 METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20260617T140000 DTEND:20260619T150000 DTSTAMP:20260617T140000 UID:acmrl-conference-on-migration-@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260831T192743 LOCATION:NU-building, 1111, De Boelelaan, 1081 HV, Amsterdam SUMMARY:ACMRL Conference on Migration Law 2026 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

We are pleased to in vite you to the first ACMRL Conference on Migration Law, hosted at th e Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam on 17–19 June 2026.

T he conference will open on 17 June with the final of the Internationa l Moot Court Competition and a subsequent social event at the Hortus Botanicus of the VU. The streams and panels will take place on 18-19 June, see the full program here . Participation to the conference is free (including social event and lunches). The conference dinner will take place on 18 June, for thos e who have registered (fee 30 euro).

Registration and payment conference dinner

The Amsterdam Centre for Migration and Refugee Law (ACMRL) at VU Ams terdam is a leading hub for doctrinal, critical, and interdisciplinar y research on migration and refugee law. 

ACMRL scholars w ork across asylum, family and labour migration, mobility, human right s, and the rule of law, and the broader political, societal and histo rical forces shaping the field. Combining legal analysis with socio-l egal and empirical approaches, the Centre is deeply engaged in public debate and policy advice, informing discussions at national, Europea n, and global levels.

Keynotes

We are de lighted that the conference will be opened with an excellent keynotes :

Thursday 18 June, 9:30. Catherine Dauvergne ‘What i f Refugees Mattered? The Challenge to International Law’, NU Theater 3

Streams
The conferenc e will explore six major themes that capture current directions in mi gration law research:

1. Human Rights Litigation an d Migration Policy

Courts and treaty bodies are s ites where migration governance is contested through human rights cla ims. This stream invites papers examining how human rights–based li tigation shapes, challenges, and reframes migration policy. We welcom e contributions analysing (strategic) litigation practices by migrant s, NGOs, governments, and other actors. We particularly encourage leg al-doctrinal and empirical work that explores how different actors de velop and deploy litigation practices and strategies, how courts or t reaty bodies respond to them, and case studies that illuminate these dynamics in specific jurisdictions, institutions, or areas of migrati on law.

2. Asylum and the New Pact

At the time of the conference, the EU-Pact on Asylum and Migratio n will have just entered into force, introducing ten new instruments to the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). We invite submissions ad dressing any asylum-related aspect of the new Pact. For example, we w elcome papers examining the overarching goals and guiding principles of the Pact, in-dept analyses of any of the instruments, thematic stu dies on areas of asylum undergoing reform, fundamental rights implica tions of the Pact, including how human rights safeguards are integrat ed into its mechanisms, or national perspectives and challenges relat ed to the implementation in specific Member States.

3. Rule of Law and Migration

The rule of law—h owever contested in meaning—serves as a core constraint on state po wer, and is therefore of particular relevance to migrants, who depend heavily on state decisions, while general constitutional law doctrin es are often considered not to apply (‘exceptionalism’). This str eam invites papers that theorise the relevance of the rule of law in migration contexts; interrogate exceptionalism in specific jurisdicti ons or legal fields; evaluate state practices in light of rule-of-law principles; or relate migration law to concepts such as autocratic l egalism, domination, or arbitrariness.

 4. Fro m Migration Law to the Law of Mobility

This strea m draws on mobilities studies to broaden legal analysis beyond the tr aditional figure of the migrant. We invite papers examining how law r egulates a diverse range of mobile subjects—tourists, business trav ellers, ‘expats’, digital nomads, athletes, seasonal workers, dip lomats, military personnel, and others—and the rationales underpinn ing their legal differentiation. We encourage contributions analysing how time, categorisation, and state logics shape which mobilities be come visible or invisible within legal frameworks. We welcome work th at explores the value of the ‘mobilities turn’ for rethinking mig ration law.

5. Family and Migration law

This stream invites papers examining how family relationship s shape, constrain, and are reshaped by migration law and governance. We welcome contributions analysing the regulation of family reunific ation, marriage migration, children’s rights, and transnational fam ily life, as well as the evolving legal standards that govern these a reas at national, regional, and international levels. Submissions may explore doctrinal developments, empirical studies of administrative and judicial decision-making, or the political and social forces infl uencing family-related migration policies. We particularly encourage work that highlights how legal norms, bureaucratic practices, and liv ed experiences intersect in the production of family migration law.

6. Labour Migration Law and the Global Compact for M igration

Labour migration is a central dimension of the Global Compact for Migration, which will undergo its second re view at the International Migration Review Forum in May 2026. This st ream invites submissions examining national or regional approaches to labour-related aspects of the Compact. Contributions may analyse the Compact’s influence on labour migration legislation, jurisprudence , and policy; evaluate the implementation of its objectives on migrat ion pathways, ethical recruitment, and decent work; or explore the ro le of key stakeholders—including international organisations, civil society, trade unions, the private sector, and national human rights institutions—in the implementation of these objectives.

DESCRIPTION: We are pleased to invite you to the first ACMRL Conferenc e on Migration Law, hosted at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam on 17� ��19 June 2026.
The conference will open on 17 June with the fina l of the International Moot Court Competition and a subsequent social event at the Hortus Botanicus of the VU. The streams and panels will take place on 18-19 June, see the full program here. Participation to the conference is free (inclu ding social event and lunches). The conference dinner will take place on 18 June, for those who have registered (fee 30 euro).Registration and payment conference dinner The Amsterdam Centre for Migration and Refugee Law (ACMRL) at VU Amsterdam is a leading hub for doctrinal, critical, and interdisc iplinary research on migration and refugee law. ACMRL scholars w ork across asylum, family and labour migration, mobility, human right s, and the rule of law, and the broader political, societal and histo rical forces shaping the field. Combining legal analysis with socio-l egal and empirical approaches, the Centre is deeply engaged in public debate and policy advice, informing discussions at national, Europea n, and global levels.KeynotesWe are delighted that t he conference will be opened with an excellent keynotes:Thursday 18 J une, 9:30. Catherine Dauvergne ‘What if Refugees Mattered? The Challenge to International Law’, NU Theater 3 Streams
The conference will explore six major the mes that capture current directions in migration law research:1. Human Rights Litigation and Migration PolicyCou rts and treaty bodies are sites where migration governance is contest ed through human rights claims. This stream invites papers examining how human rights–based litigation shapes, challenges, and reframes migration policy. We welcome contributions analysing (strategic) liti gation practices by migrants, NGOs, governments, and other actors. We particularly encourage legal-doctrinal and empirical work that explo res how different actors develop and deploy litigation practices and strategies, how courts or treaty bodies respond to them, and case stu dies that illuminate these dynamics in specific jurisdictions, instit utions, or areas of migration law.2. Asylum and the New P actAt the time of the conference, the EU-Pact on Asylum and Migration will have just entered into force, introducing ten new instruments to the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). We invite s ubmissions addressing any asylum-related aspect of the new Pact. For example, we welcome papers examining the overarching goals and guidin g principles of the Pact, in-dept analyses of any of the instruments, thematic studies on areas of asylum undergoing reform, fundamental r ights implications of the Pact, including how human rights safeguards are integrated into its mechanisms, or national perspectives and cha llenges related to the implementation in specific Member States.3. Rule of Law and MigrationThe rule of law—ho wever contested in meaning—serves as a core constraint on state pow er, and is therefore of particular relevance to migrants, who depend heavily on state decisions, while general constitutional law doctrine s are often considered not to apply (‘exceptionalism’). This stre am invites papers that theorise the relevance of the rule of law in m igration contexts; interrogate exceptionalism in specific jurisdictio ns or legal fields; evaluate state practices in light of rule-of-law principles; or relate migration law to concepts such as autocratic le galism, domination, or arbitrariness. 4. From Migrat ion Law to the Law of MobilityThis stream draws on mobi lities studies to broaden legal analysis beyond the traditional figur e of the migrant. We invite papers examining how law regulates a dive rse range of mobile subjects—tourists, business travellers, ‘expa ts’, digital nomads, athletes, seasonal workers, diplomats, militar y personnel, and others—and the rationales underpinning their legal differentiation. We encourage contributions analysing how time, cate gorisation, and state logics shape which mobilities become visible or invisible within legal frameworks. We welcome work that explores the value of the ‘mobilities turn’ for rethinking migration law.5. < em>Family and Migration lawThis stream invites papers examining how family relationships shape, constrain, and are r eshaped by migration law and governance. We welcome contributions ana lysing the regulation of family reunification, marriage migration, ch ildren’s rights, and transnational family life, as well as the evol ving legal standards that govern these areas at national, regional, a nd international levels. Submissions may explore doctrinal developmen ts, empirical studies of administrative and judicial decision-making, or the political and social forces influencing family-related migrat ion policies. We particularly encourage work that highlights how lega l norms, bureaucratic practices, and lived experiences intersect in t he production of family migration law.6. Labour Migration Law and the Global Compact for MigrationLabour migrati on is a central dimension of the Global Compact for Migration, which will undergo its second review at the International Migration Review Forum in May 2026. This stream invites submissions examining national or regional approaches to labour-related aspects of the Compact. Con tributions may analyse the Compact’s influence on labour migration legislation, jurisprudence, and policy; evaluate the implementation o f its objectives on migration pathways, ethical recruitment, and dece nt work; or explore the role of key stakeholders—including internat ional organisations, civil society, trade unions, the private sector, and national human rights institutions—in the implementation of th ese objectives. END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR