Two lecturers from Friedensau at the IASFM Conference in Indonesia

The 19th International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM) conference convened from January 21–23, 2025 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia under the theme “Forced Displacement in an Urbanizing World.” The event brought together 375 participants across 68 sessions, showcasing 238 paper presentations by scholars, policymakers, and practitioners focused on advancing research and advocacy in forced migration studies.

Among the contributors to this year’s conference were two academics from the School of Social Sciences at Friedensau Adventist University (FAU), Prof. Dr. Ulrike Schultz and Dr. Kwaku Arhin-Sam. The pair convened a panel titled „Construction and Reconstruction of Displaced Persons, Migrants, and Refugees,“ which featured two sessions presenting six academic papers.

Insights from the Panel

Prof. Dr. Ulrike Schultz presented her research titled “Beyond Categories: Mobility in the Sudans after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).” Her work explored the fluidity of identity categories such as “returnees,” “internally displaced persons” (IDPs), and “refugees.” She emphasized how shifting patterns of mobility and new forms of belonging transcend conventional classifications and challenge dominant discourses surrounding displacement.

Dr. Kwaku Arhin-Sam examined return migration dynamics in his paper, “Categorizing Return Migrants: Juxtaposing Accepted and Rejected Returnees in Nigeria and Ghana.” He interrogated the impact of returnee labels and their influence on identity, social integration, and developmental contributions in both countries. His findings revealed how such labels can alienate or marginalize some returnees, exacerbating their struggles with dual identities while affecting their reintegration experiences.

Contributions by Friedensau and Collaborating Scholars

Joining the panel was Dr. Mohamed Bakhit, a post-doctoral fellow at FAU. His paper, “The Politics of Protections and Rights: Understanding ‘Protection’ and ‘Agency’ among South Sudanese Refugees in Khartoum (Sudan),” delved into the complex interactions between refugee populations and international protection systems. She argued that refugees constantly renegotiate their categorization to access rights and services, while criticizing actors such as UNHCR, NGOs, and local mediators for their failure to adequately fulfill their protective roles.

Former FAU student and current Doctoral student at Osnabrück University, Cleia Kattwinkel, also contributed to the panel with her paper examining how individuals on the move resist assigned labels. Her research demonstrated the ways people navigate, negotiate, and, when possible, leverage imposed categorizations to serve their interests, often diverging from geopolitical agendas.

Additionally, the panel featured researchers from Universitas Tanjungpura (UNTAN, Indonesia), as part of a growing collaboration between UNTAN and FAU. Representing UNTAN’s Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), the team presented “The Local People’s Responses towards Migrants, Categorization, Integration, and Conflict in West Kalimantan.” Their paper illuminated how local categorizations influence integration processes and conflicts between migrants and indigenous populations in the West Kalimantan region.

Advancing the Discourse on Forced Migration

The IASFM 2025 conference served as a dynamic platform for interdisciplinary dialogue, providing innovative insights into the challenges faced by displaced populations. Participants reflected on the importance of collaboration across disciplines and regions to better understand and address forced migration's complexities (Text: Dr. Kwaku Arhin-Sam).