Conference examines EU migration policies, refugee crisis

As hundreds of thousands of refugees risk their lives to reach the European Union, countries from Greece to Finland and Poland to the United Kingdom are forced to address the issue.

The crisis has also spurred, both within states and at the national level, an intense conflict centered on issues of identity and economics.

UIC will host “Fortress Europe or E Pluribus Unum?,” a conference that addresses issues of migration and asylum policy in the European Union. The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 23 and 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 24 in the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum Residents’ Dining Hall.

“This event highlights what is without a doubt the most serious crisis facing the European continent and the European Union idea since World War II,” said conference co-organizer Alexandra Filindra, assistant professor of political science. “How the European Union, its member states, and those along its periphery respond to it will help shape the future of Europe.”

The symposium, a joint effort between UIC and Rutgers University, will bring together scholars working on questions of EU governance and migration policy, as well as some participants with recent on-the-ground experience with refugees in Turkey and Greece.

Panels and presentations will cover topics such as EU responses to the refugee crisis, immigrant and refugee integration, ethical and legal implications, and comparisons to migration governance and citizens’ attitudes in North America.

Admission is free. For more information, call (312) 996-1234,