Migration Working Group

Migration is a cross-cutting, multifaceted and sociologically complex phenomenon, and the European continent is a reflection of this diversity. Moreover, migrations have been and will be at the heart of the construction and development of the European Union. However, European migration policies remain a largely misunderstood subject, with many ambiguities and paradoxes. We believe that migration discourses and policies have been politicised and often used as a scapegoat to foster communities united by fear rather than solidarity. In this endeavour, the Migration Working Group (MWG) aims to explore the various complexities related to migration by publishing reports, articles, policy briefs, podcasts, infographics, as well as participating in related events and webinars. It is essential to understand what, when, where and how Europe has failed in its response to migration flows in order to reconnect policy debates with evidence-based data, and propose sustainable ways towards a fairer society, and a better future for Europe.

Head of Working Group – Lisa Motzig

Lisa Motzig is an advocacy officer for the French association e-graine. She graduated from a master’s degree in International Relations from Sciences Po Bordeaux, France. She had the chance to study not only in France but also in Great Britain and in the United States. Her research interests centre around the intersection of migration and gender issues. Her prior experiences consisted in managing a feminist support centre in France and advocating for homeless people’s rights in the U.S. After these successful endeavours towards social justice, she served marginalized asylum seekers in Greece as a Communication and Advocacy Officer for the non-profit Safe Place International, which gave her priceless insights into European immigration policies and convinced her to work in the field of migration.

Julia Arenos Karsten

Júlia Arenós Karsten holds a BA in Global Studies from University Pompeu Fabra and a Master’s degree in African Studies from Leiden University. During her research-oriented Master’s program, she specialised in studying the asylum crisis in Africa, dedicating three months to conducting research in Cairo to better understand the challenges faced by the African migrant community in the country. Following the completion of her Master’s degree, Júlia joined the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for a six-month internship within the Intergovernmental Policy Section in New York. In this role, she was responsible for covering various intergovernmental processes, including negotiations related to the resolution on migration and displacement.

 

Tatiana Papadopoulou

Tatiana has recently graduated from her master’s degree in European studies at King’s College London. Although originally from Greece, she has been living in the UK for the last four years when she moved to pursue her bachelor’s degree in Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham. Her research interests involve the externalisation of migration, foreign policy and security, which she had the opportunity to study in depth in her MA dissertation and make recommendations for in the 2023 European Student Assembly as a member of the Security and Defence Panel in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. She is currently working at the Greek Embassy in London as a research intern at the public diplomacy office, where she manages the British press release of Greek interest, global affairs and foreign policy.

Juan Jurado

Juan Jurado is working on project management and development of European fundings in the e-graine movement (France), especially in the fields of education around migration issues. Juan has been volunteering, studying, and working since 2013 in different European countries (Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, Serbia, and France) and beyond (the Occupied Territories of Palestine). He has been participating in the EST, more precisely, with the Working Group on Migration since January 2021.

He graduated in Sociology at the Pablo de Olavide University (Spain) and later in the master’s degree of Conflict, Security and Development at the University of Exeter (UK). His experience as a youth worker and researcher in the field of migration, as well as in other cross-cutting issues, has given him a critical and holistic view of the migration phenomenon.

 

Riza Franchesca Regala

Originally from the Philippines, Riza Franchesca Regala is a Masters student of Migration Studies at the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne and School of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS).

As a junior researcher from the Asia-Pacific region with a Bachelor’s degree in European Studies from Ateneo de Manila University, her unique background allows her to provide cross-regional insights and a global outlook to migration policy. Prior to moving abroad, Frans served as a Research and Editorial Assistant at the Asian and Pacific Migration Journal (SAGE).

She fuses her strong academic background and a deep commitment to youth empowerment across policy-making spaces in the field of migration. She is currently part of the coordination team of the Migration Youth and Children Platform, the Steering Group-mandated body for the participation of young leaders in the Global Forum for Migration and Development .