easa

Dear all,

We hope this message finds you well.

There are still three days left to send paper proposal for our panel at = the 9th Congress = of the Portuguese = Anthropological Association (APA), which will be held in hybrid form = (f2f&on-line) at the Instituto Polit=C3=A9cnico = of the wonderful = town of Viana do Castelo, in the North of Portugal, 16=E2=80=9318 July = 2025. =20 Illegal(ized) Migrants in Portugal: =46rom a =E2=80=9CTrampoline=E2=80=9D = to a =E2=80=9CTrap=E2=80=9D?=20

=20 Organizers: Gianmarco Marzola, Social Sciences Institute - University of = Lisbon, Portugal; University of Padua, Italy Emilio Massimo Caja, Social Sciences Institute - University of = Lisbon, Portugal

Discussant: Francesca Esposito, Department of Psychology "Renzo = Canestrari=E2=80=9D, University of Bologna, Italy

=20 Abstract:=20 Portugal has long been internationally regarded as a hospitable = destination for migrants. Scholars describe it as a =E2=80=9Ctrampoline=E2= =80=9D in the migration trajectories of individuals from Africa, Latin = America, and Asia (Vigh 2016). Portugal=E2=80=99s relatively accessible = pathways to legal residence historically distinguished it from other = Western European countries. Yet, for many, Portugal is a transitional = stop=E2=80=94a stepping-stone to wealthier European nations or a base = for circular mobility across Europe. Is Portugal=E2=80=99s role in the = European migration landscape shifting? While Portuguese governments often promote narratives of = =E2=80=9Cgoodwill=E2=80=9D and =E2=80=9Copenness,=E2=80=9D such = discourses obscure systemic violence, detention, and deportation = (Vacchiano, 2019). The killing of Ihor Homeniuk in 2020 at the Lisbon = airport detention centre starkly exposed state violence against = migrants. Following this incident, the Servi=C3=A7o de Estrangeiros e = Fronteiras (SEF), held responsible for his death, was dismantled. = Administrative duties were transferred to the Ag=C3=AAncia para a = Integra=C3=A7=C3=A3o, Migra=C3=A7=C3=B5es e Asilo (AIMA), and = enforcement powers to the police. Further, the 2024 immigration law = restricts regularisation pathways for undocumented migrants. Do these = measures signal a deeper shift in Portuguese migration policy? In recent years, migrants have reported delays of over two years = for regularisation and frequent denial of access to healthcare and = public services. Despite this, many continue to choose Portugal, = perceiving it as more accessible than other European destinations. = However, with these restrictive changes, is Portugal transforming from a = =E2=80=9Ctrampoline=E2=80=9D to a =E2=80=9Ctrap=E2=80=9D? This panel = aims to explore how recent policy shifts challenge dominant narratives = of Portugal as an open and hospitable nation, questioning their impact = on migrants=E2=80=99 lived realities and broader European mobility = patterns.

We invite contributions on and beyond the following themes and topics:

=E2=80=A2 Portuguese border and asylum regimes
=E2=80=A2 Accounts of migrants=E2=80=99 experiences of =

Portuguese shifting migration policies =E2=80=A2 Portuguese detention and deportation systems =E2=80=A2 The abolition of SEF and its subsequent developments =E2=80=A2 Circular mobilities of migrants across Portugal and = beyond =E2=80=A2 Violence against immigrants in Portugal =20 References: Vacchiano, F. (2019) =E2=80=9CCamouflaging borders: relocation, = neglect and disciplines of emplacement in Portugal.=E2=80=9D = International Journal of Migration and Border Studies, 5(4): 273-291. Vigh, H. (2016). Life=E2=80=99s trampoline: On nullification and = cocaine migration in Bissau. Affective Circuits: African Migrations to = Europe and the Pursuit of Social Regeneration, 223-44.

Accepted languages: English / Espa=C3=B1ol / Portugu=C3=AAs

The call closes on January 13th

Please, circulate to anyone who might be interested.

Tu submit your paper: click HERE =

More details: consult APA=C2=A0website = or contact us by email: gmarzola@edu.ulisboa.pt emiliomassimo.caja@gmail.com

Best regards,

=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2= =80=94 Gianmarco Marzola

PhD Candidate - Anthropology Instituto de Ci=C3=AAncias Sociais Universidade de Lisboa=