Context

The health crisis has led to an awareness of the fragility of certain value chains: the excessive splitting of production elements, extreme geographic distance, high concentration on a few suppliers and induced dependencies, etc. 

In addition, there are trends already underway that relate to the shortening of value chains, awareness of the ecological footprint of long-distance transport, and the shift in comparative advantages in favor of digitalization. 

Europe and the Maghreb are already intertwined in the same processes of trade and production, but the ongoing changes in the global economy present opportunities that must be exploited. The Maghreb would gain from it an increase in productive activities and therefore jobs, income, and factors accelerating human and technological progress. 

Europe would benefit from increased diversification of its sources of supply, from enhanced proximity to the Maghreb and African market thanks to the springboard offered by the Maghreb. Besides, this would be a favorable factor to contribute to the development and stabilization of the southern shore of the Mediterranean. 

In this sense, this webinar would make it possible to establish an inventory and to take stock of the analysis of blockages, opportunities, and actions to be taken.

The terms migration and mobility are often used interchangeably, despite the fact that they actually refer to two distinct phenomena of human movement. Mobility is a very broad term that relates to various forms of mobility, but is often characterized by temporary movements by which an individual or a group of people move from their place of origin to another country, for educational or work reasons, with the prospect of returning to their place of origin.

Migration, however, constitutes a specific form of mobility and generally refers to a more long-term settlement project, thus leaving more opportunities for interactions between the migrant and the host country. It is precisely around this form of displacement that controversy has grown at the international level in recent years. Thus, mobility has gradually replaced the term migration in the political sphere and in research, illustrating new political management of population flows and the interest in new forms of movement.

Indeed, migration is an important component of exchanges between economies and societies, and it generates various back-and-forth movements between countries of origin and destination. But the mobility of non-migrants, linked to trade and business, arts and entertainment, research and science, etc., can be seen as a natural consequence of past migrations and the existence of diasporas, or as a precursor of future mobility. Such mobility holds opportunities for the future for talented youth.

The webinar entitled "Perspectives on mobility and migration in the Mediterranean" aims to offer a cross-analysis of migration and mobility issues in the Mediterranean, first from a transversal point of view (education and youth work), and then through the intersection of European and African perspectives, thanks to the presentation of two papers by researchers from the Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI) and the Policy Center for the New South (PCNS). These two papers both recognize and highlight the importance of mobility at the higher education level and propose concrete recommendations in order to promote it.

The paper produced as a result of meetings organized by the CMI takes a multidisciplinary approach, underlining the connections between mobility, education, employability, and labor markets. The paper produced by the PCNS expert focuses more specifically on the obstacles faced by young researchers from the South Mediterranean when it comes to access to scientific mobility.

This webinar inaugurates a series of dialogues on these themes between the CMI and the PCNS.

Resources 

Agenda 

Workshop recording