The ACMRL is pleased to announce the first ACMRL Conference on Migration Law, to be held at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam on 18-19 June 2026.
As a leading hub for doctrinal, critical, and interdisciplinary research on migration and refugee law, the ACMRL brings together scholars working across asylum, family and labour migration, mobility, human rights, and the rule of law. With this conference, the Centre aims to create a dedicated space for in-depth academic exchange on key developments shaping the field.
The 2026 conference will explore six areas of migration law research:
- Human Rights Litigation and Migration Policy
This stream invites papers analysing how human rights–based litigation shapes, challenges, and reframes migration governance. Contributions may examine strategic litigation practices, responses by courts or treaty bodies, and case studies from various jurisdictions. - Asylum and the New Pact
Under this stream, we welcome submissions on any asylum-related aspect of the EU Pact on Asylum and Migration, including analyses of the Pact’s instruments, its guiding principles, fundamental rights implications, or national implementation challenges. - Rule of Law and Migration
Papers for this stream may address how rule-of-law principles constrain state power in migration contexts, interrogate forms of exceptionalism, or relate migration governance to concepts such as autocratic legalism, domination, or arbitrariness. - From Migration Law to the Law of Mobility
This stream draws on mobilities approach to migration law to analyse how law regulates diverse mobile subjects and the rationales underlying their legal differentiation. Submissions may explore the value of a mobilities approach for rethinking migration law. - Family and Migration Law
For this stream, we invite contributions examining how family relationships shape and are shaped by migration governance, including work on family reunification, marriage migration, children’s rights, and decision-making practices across national and regional levels. - Labour Migration Law and the Global Compact for Migration
This stream focuses on labour-related aspects of the Global Compact for Migration, including its influence on legislation, jurisprudence, ethical recruitment, decent work, and the role of key stakeholders in implementation.
We welcome proposals from researchers at all career stages and from all relevant disciplines. Submissions may adopt doctrinal, empirical, theoretical, or comparative approaches.
The full Call for Papers with additional details for each stream is available here. We welcome paper and panel proposals from scholars at all career stages and across disciplines.
Individual Papers
Abstracts of up to 500 words, including the paper title, author affiliation(s), a short bio, and contact details.
Panel Proposals
Panels should include 3–5 contributors. Proposals must contain a panel abstract (up to 400 words), individual paper titles and abstracts, and short bios and contact details for all panelists.
Submission Deadline
Please submit your proposal, indicating the relevant theme in the subject line, to acmrlconference.rch@vu.nl by 15 February. Authors will be notified of acceptance by 15 March.
We look forward to welcoming you to the first ACMRL Conference on Migration Law.