23
JUL

Scalabrini Migration Study Centres Meeting, Rome

On 11 th to the 12 th of July 2024, SIHMA attended the Scalabrini International Migration Study

Centres meeting in Rome at the headquarters of the General Administration. The other study

centers that were present include Centro Studi Emigrazione (CSER) in Rome, Centre for

Migration Studies (CMS) in New York, Centro De Estudos Migratorios (CEM) in Sao Paulo,

Centro de Estudios Migratorios Latinoamericanos (CEMLA) in Argentia, Centre d’information

et d’études sur les migrations internationals (CIEMI) in Paris, Scalabrini Migration Center in

Manila. The meeting was attended by the directors of the study centres and the experts from

each study centre. The purpose of the gathering was to discuss the situation of migration in

each study center’s operating region, research on migration, aspects are most relevant to

the development of the study centers, and the possible role to be played by SMSCs. The

meeting also gave the opportunity for the study center directors to discuss strategies to

revitalize the study center network and to share some strategies that the study center is

pursuing.

The meeting was opened by a welcome address by the Superior General Fr. Leonir

Chiarello. Following this was the 1 st session of the meeting focused on the nature, profile ,

advantages, opportunities and challenges of the profiles of the study SMSC lead by Fr

Graziano Battistella. This was followed by the discussion of the situation of the SMSCs

journals and libraries. The afternoon session was a closed session of the study centers

directors.

The 2 nd day gave an opportunity to the experts in all the study centres to present the situation

of migration research in their areas of operation, the topics that are receiving much attention,

gaps in migration research and the nature of the research institutes that are focusing on

migration. The experts also discussed research in the different regions and the role that can

be played by the SMSCs in advancing migration research.

During the 2 days meeting, the attendees concluded that there is a need to continue to study

and deepen the migratory phenomenon and related issues through activities of

documentation and research, analysis and reflection under sociological and theoretical

aspects. The SMSCs should continue in of the Line of the Founder’s (St John Scalabrini)

vision of migration as a reality that structurally belongs to human co-existence, being that to

migrate is a human right that contributes to the transformation of society and require