The Laboratory for the History of the Economies and Societies of the Mediterranean was organized in collaboration with the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies. Tunisia, on 8 and 9 May 2026, International Scientific Symposium entitled "Temporary Migration (20th and 21st Centuries): Fields, Framing, Imagination".
Participated in the work of the symposium a selection of Researchers and academics representing research institutions universities in Tunisia, the MENA region, and Europe. The seminar aimed to deepen research on the phenomenon of temporary migration by focusing on its temporal, spatial, social and political dimensions, and on its forms of framing by States and institutions, as well as on the representations of migrants and images of migration in the collective imagination.
QUERY LENGTH LIMIT EXCEEDED. MAX ALLOWED QUERY : 500 CHARS.
QUERY LENGTH LIMIT EXCEEDED. MAX ALLOWED QUERY : 500 CHARS.
In this context, the symposium discussed the relationship between the administrative classifications adopted by States and the living experiences of migrants. The adjective “temporary” may be legally and administratively defined, whereas immigration may, in fact, take more complex paths, ranging from return and settlement to prolonged stay or reconstruction of the immigration project. In this regard, the importance of the concept of temporality in the study of migration, considering that the duration of migration is not always predetermined, but may be changed by personal, economic, political and security transformations that occur on the migrant's path.
The interventions also focused on the temporary migration of workers and competencies, and the associated selective policies in European countries that attract foreign labor according to their economic needs. Some studies dealt with seasonal migration cases in sectors such as agriculture and tourism, highlighting theAI. This type of fragility caused by short-term contracts, and the issue of gender-related inequalities was also raised, as The vulnerability of migrant women is compounded in some seasonal work programs.
On the other hand, the symposium addressed temporary migration as an individual and family strategy, as migration decisions may be linked to sharing economic risks and securing additional resources for families. However, these decisions are not always the result of a fixed and predetermined project, but can be changed by the experiences of the migrant in the receiving country and by shifts in his/her path. Some approaches have highlighted that temporary migration should be seen as an open process, which can experience unexpected shifts in duration, direction and outcome.
The interventions also addressed irregular migration, transit and exile situations from a temporal perspective, as security and migration policies may impose forms of stopping, waiting or returning, making the migration path different from the initial project of the migrant. In this context, the importance of unexpected events and political and economic transformations in reshaping individual paths has emerged, confirming that migration cannot be understood as a fixed decision, but rather as a path that constantly interacts with the circumstances surrounding the migrant.
The symposium's work was not limited to studying the individual experiences of migrants, but also focused on public policies, discourses and representations related to migration. The role played by the media and political discourses in constructing certain images of the migrant and migration, and in influencing the collective imagination and public opinion, was noted. The interventions also raised questions related to how temporary migration is employed within European policies, and how it relates to the needs of the labor market and the shifts in immigration policies in receiving countries and countries of origin..
The symposium was characterized by an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together history, geography, sociology, anthropology, political science, and migration studies. This diversity has allowed the phenomenon to be approached from different levels, from individual pathways and migrant experiences to policies, institutions and social representations. The meeting was also a space for exchanging experiences and research methods, especially with regard to field investigations and the use of various sources, such as archives, official documents, memoranda and media speeches.
QUERY LENGTH LIMIT EXCEEDED. MAX ALLOWED QUERY : 500 CHARS Publication of the proceedings of the conference during the year 2026.
The Laboratory for the History of the Economies and Societies of the Mediterranean was organized in collaboration with the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies. Tunisia, on 8 and 9 May 2026, International Scientific Symposium entitled "Temporary Migration (20th and 21st Centuries): Fields, Framing, Imagination".
Participated in the work of the symposium a selection of Researchers and academics representing research institutions universities in Tunisia, the MENA region, and Europe. The seminar aimed to deepen research on the phenomenon of temporary migration by focusing on its temporal, spatial, social and political dimensions, and on its forms of framing by States and institutions, as well as on the representations of migrants and images of migration in the collective imagination.
QUERY LENGTH LIMIT EXCEEDED. MAX ALLOWED QUERY : 500 CHARS.
QUERY LENGTH LIMIT EXCEEDED. MAX ALLOWED QUERY : 500 CHARS.
In this context, the symposium discussed the relationship between the administrative classifications adopted by States and the living experiences of migrants. The adjective “temporary” may be legally and administratively defined, whereas immigration may, in fact, take more complex paths, ranging from return and settlement to prolonged stay or reconstruction of the immigration project. In this regard, the importance of the concept of temporality in the study of migration, considering that the duration of migration is not always predetermined, but may be changed by personal, economic, political and security transformations that occur on the migrant's path.
The interventions also focused on the temporary migration of workers and competencies, and the associated selective policies in European countries that attract foreign labor according to their economic needs. Some studies dealt with seasonal migration cases in sectors such as agriculture and tourism, highlighting theAI. This type of fragility caused by short-term contracts, and the issue of gender-related inequalities was also raised, as The vulnerability of migrant women is compounded in some seasonal work programs.
On the other hand, the symposium addressed temporary migration as an individual and family strategy, as migration decisions may be linked to sharing economic risks and securing additional resources for families. However, these decisions are not always the result of a fixed and predetermined project, but can be changed by the experiences of the migrant in the receiving country and by shifts in his/her path. Some approaches have highlighted that temporary migration should be seen as an open process, which can experience unexpected shifts in duration, direction and outcome.
The interventions also addressed irregular migration, transit and exile situations from a temporal perspective, as security and migration policies may impose forms of stopping, waiting or returning, making the migration path different from the initial project of the migrant. In this context, the importance of unexpected events and political and economic transformations in reshaping individual paths has emerged, confirming that migration cannot be understood as a fixed decision, but rather as a path that constantly interacts with the circumstances surrounding the migrant.
The symposium's work was not limited to studying the individual experiences of migrants, but also focused on public policies, discourses and representations related to migration. The role played by the media and political discourses in constructing certain images of the migrant and migration, and in influencing the collective imagination and public opinion, was noted. The interventions also raised questions related to how temporary migration is employed within European policies, and how it relates to the needs of the labor market and the shifts in immigration policies in receiving countries and countries of origin..
The symposium was characterized by an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together history, geography, sociology, anthropology, political science, and migration studies. This diversity has allowed the phenomenon to be approached from different levels, from individual pathways and migrant experiences to policies, institutions and social representations. The meeting was also a space for exchanging experiences and research methods, especially with regard to field investigations and the use of various sources, such as archives, official documents, memoranda and media speeches.
QUERY LENGTH LIMIT EXCEEDED. MAX ALLOWED QUERY : 500 CHARS Publication of the proceedings of the conference during the year 2026.