Amel Association International (Amel) and Samusocial International (SSI), respectively founded by Dr. Kamel Mohanna and by Dr. Xavier Emmanuelli, consider it is urgent to organize collective reflexion on migration issues, to discuss innovative practices and policies, ensuring dignity, solidarity and humanity with persons in exile.

Amel and SSI, partners in answering to the needs of persons in exile, are organizing, in close cooperation with Amel France, and with the local support of CAMPFIRE Innovation, a seminar in Athens, Greece, on December 5th, at the Melina Merkouri Cultural Center and on December 6th, at the Institut français de Grèce.

The two organizations held a the first seminar in Paris, in October 2017. More than 150 officials, researchers and civil society organizations discussed, on that occasion, the context of international migrations, the legal and practical constraints related to the asylum seekers’ rights, the migration policy in France, the unaccompanied minors’ situation, the geographical organization of migrations and the integration of refugees. The recommendations of the Paris’ seminar will be published in the coming weeks.

The participants of the Paris’ seminar highlighted the need to review the current policies but also the importance of increasing synergies between innovative practices. In order to capitalize on these various experiences and expertise, Amel and SSI are organizing a second seminar, in Athens, which will gather, during 2 days, more than 100 Greek and Euro-Mediterranean researchers, practitioners and civil society organizations.

This event will aim at:
Sharing innovative practices and lessons learned from civil society initiatives in relation to persons in exile, capitalizing on them at the European, regional and international levels;
Increasing understanding and knowledge sharing between field initiatives, researchers and institutions;
Advocating for the implementation of a new immigration model for persons in exile, based on innovative practices and reflections of researchers and practitioners, to promote their dignity and their humanity.

The program of the seminar is available at: https://y2me47.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Program-Seminar-Athens-Amel-SSI-.pdf

During the seminar, Dr Kamel Mohanna, Founding President of Amel and Dr Xavier Emmanuelli, Founding President of SSI, will call upon the participants to develop a regional movement of stakeholders working with persons in exile and sharing the common values of dignity, solidarity and humanity.

CONTACTS
Virginie Lefèvre
Amel Association International, research@amel.org, 00 30 694 797 0782 (GR) / 00 961 718 555 93 (LBN)

Alizé Taquoi
Samusocial International, a.taquoi@samu-social-international.com, 00 33 6 60 98 85 00

Déborah Prati
Amel France, deborah.prati@amelfrance.org, +33 6 50 22 81 99