Theme: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND MIGRATION: GOVERNANCE, ETHICS, AND FUTURE PATHWAYS
The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into migration governance is fundamentally reshaping how states, international organisations, and non-state actors manage mobility, borders, asylum systems, and migrant integration. From biometric identification and predictive analytics to algorithmic risk profiling and automated decision-making, AI-driven technologies increasingly mediate who moves, who belongs, and under what conditions mobility is permitted. While these innovations promise efficiency, security, and policy coordination, they also raise profound ethical, legal, and political questions concerning surveillance, data colonialism, racial bias, accountability, and human rights.
This conference interrogates the intersection of AI and migration through interdisciplinary and critical lenses, bringing together scholars, policymakers, technologists, and civil society actors to examine how AI is transforming migration governance at global, regional, and local levels. Particular attention is given to the Global South, South-North migration corridors, and Africa-Europe migration relations, where technological asymmetries often reinforce existing inequalities and power hierarchies.
ICM 2026 seeks to provide an interdisciplinary platform for scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and civil society actors to critically engage with the implications of AI in migration processes at local, regional, and global levels.
Suggested Sub-Themes (but not limited to):
- AI, big data, and migration governance
- Algorithmic decision-making in asylum and border control
- Ethical, legal, and human rights implications of AI in migration management
- AI and migration forecasting, modelling, and early warning systems
- Digital surveillance, biometrics, and migrant security
- AI, labour migration, and the future of work
- Gender, race, and inequality in AI-driven migration systems
- AI applications in refugee protection and humanitarian response
- Global South perspectives on AI and migration
- Policy sovereignty, power asymmetries, and digital colonialism in migration governance
- Migration, Entrepreneurship, and Technology
Abstract Submission Guidelines:
- Abstracts should be 250–300 words
- Working Languages: English/ Portuguese / French
- Clearly state the research problem, methodology, theoretical framework, and key findings/arguments
- Submissions may be theoretical, empirical, or policy-oriented
- Include author name(s), institutional affiliation(s), and contact details
Outputs: Selected papers to be considered for an edited volume or special journal issue in Africana Studia-International Journal of African Studies, University of Porto
Important Dates:
- Abstract submission opening: 3 February 2026
- Abstract submission deadline: 5 April 2026
- Notification of acceptance: 15 April 2026
- Conference dates: 1–3 July 2026
Submission & Inquiries:
All abstracts and inquiries should be sent to: Este endereço de email está protegido contra piratas. Necessita ativar o JavaScript para o visualizar. and cc Este endereço de email está protegido contra piratas. Necessita ativar o JavaScript para o visualizar. and Este endereço de email está protegido contra piratas. Necessita ativar o JavaScript para o visualizar.
Conference Format:
The conference will be held in a hybrid format, allowing both in-person and virtual participation.
Keynote speakers:
- Dr Koko Warner, Director, IOM Global Data Institute, Switzerland.
- Bisi Obateru, Founder/CEO, JustiGuide, USA.
Conference Coordinators:
Akinwale Roy Ojomo
David France
Natalija Lazevski
Sunday Israel Oyebamiji
Organizing Board:
Adebusuyi Isaac Adeniran
CEAUP
Adeola Adeleye-Fashuba
Oluremi Alapo
Thandokazi Mbane
For any questions, please contact
Akinwale Roy Ojomo
Conference Convener
+351 920 658 116
Website: www.africanos.eu
