Estonian Academy of Security Sciences Annual Conference 2021 Workshop “Preparedness for Migration Crises”

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In early December, the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences International Hybrid Conference “30 Years of Secure Freedom” will take place. On the first day of the conference (December 1), presentations and panel discussions will be held on-site, which can also be followed online. On the second day (December 2), workshops will be conducted online. The Estonian Contact Point of the European Migration Network is organizing a workshop focusing on the capacity to cope with migration crises.

The world around us is constantly changing and brings various challenges, including in the field of migration. A striking example of this is the situation on the border between the European Union and Belarus. In a rapidly escalating situation, Belarus has challenged the European Union to cope with mass immigration. Thus, in the first nine months of 2021, over 6,000 illegal border crossings have already occurred on the Belarus-EU external border, most of which have taken place on the Lithuanian-Belarusian border. Primarily, people arriving at the border are from Iraq and Syria, but there are also people from African countries and Afghanistan.

The aim of the workshop, organized under the leadership of the Estonian Contact Point of the European Migration Network, is to discuss the resilience of Estonia and its neighboring countries (Latvia and Lithuania) in a migration crisis situation. The workshop will also seek answers to the following questions:

  • How do experts from Lithuania and Latvia assess the current response?
  • What is our preparedness at the institutional and practical level in a situation where Estonia could also be significantly affected by a mass influx of persons from third countries?
  • What can we learn from our Lithuanian and Latvian colleagues, who are currently facing migration pressure from Belarus?

Presenting and participating in the panel discussion at the workshop will be:

  • Toomas Malva from the Ministry of Interior
  • Saulius Nekrasevicius from the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service
  • Līga Neidere from the Latvian Ministry of Interior
  • Eero Janson from the Estonian Refugee Council

The workshop welcomes both professionals in the field and individuals interested in the topic from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Estonian-English simultaneous interpretation will be provided for the workshop.

Registration is open HERE. To register for the workshop, please indicate that you will be participating in the virtual workshop on the second day of the conference.