WRITE FOR ROUTED

Creative migration policy

What: Our next issue, on the theme of ‘Creative migration policy’, to be published in December 2022 in Routed Magazine.

Views on migration policies are deeply entrenched. Rarely do migration policies strike a consensus among sending communities, receiving communities, those on the move, and external actors. Sometimes, the status quo is challenged by innovation: a country attempts a new policy, an individual finds a crack in existing rules, or a research group comes up with a new idea.

This issue aims to look at these innovations. It proposes to identify some audacious migration policies (past and present) across the world and to engage with them. This issue’s ambition is to create a platform for creative thinking, where best and worst practices are shared and new ideas blossom.

We are open to all proposals that relate to creative migration policies, in the broadest sense of the term. For instance, your piece may fall under one of the following categories:

Critical engagement with an existing creative migration policy. Your piece can showcase an innovative migration policy, explaining the context in which it was introduced. You can defend or argue against that policy, detailing your views. Recent examples include the Refugee Economies pilot programmes for refugee self-sufficiency in camp settings, the Migration and Development Partnership signed between the United Kingdom and Rwanda, or Philippine labour migration policy to support emigration.

Blue-sky thinking. You can propose an innovative migration policy of your own. It may, or may not, be a realistic policy. Your article could explain the current state of play in the country or regions where this policy could be introduced, detail your proposal, and weigh the advantages and disadvantages.

Questioning the fundamentals that underpin migration policies. You may also pick a concept or object on which migration policies are built and critically engage with it. For instance, are we right to think of migration policies within national policy frameworks?

We are particularly interested in publishing work that lifts up the voices of people on the move and exploring (im)mobility in its many varied forms. We are also keen on receiving pieces that analyse current news about migration and (im)mobility, or reflect on cultural developments related to these topics.

Articles should address a broad audience, made of experts and non-experts, and should be originally written in English or Spanish. We are also open to publishing work in other formats, such as visual art pieces or posters.

When: The deadline for proposals is 4 November 2022.

How: If you are interested in proposing a submission for this issue, please send us a short abstract no longer than 250 words via email to: RoutedMagazine@gmail.com. We would also like to hear about your relationship to migration and mobility (if you are a migrant, a researcher, a student, a practitioner...).

Article guidelines:

The length of the piece should be between 700 and 1000 words.
The article should consistently use British spelling and grammar, if you’re writing in English.
The simpler the language the better. Try to briefly explain or add links to any concepts, organisations, policies… introduced in the article.
Concepts and cited works/legislation/articles should be inserted in the article as hyperlinks.
All acronyms should be specified in parentheses.

Some notes on the publication process:

Once you send us your proposal, we will get back to you after the deadline for all submissions (4 November 2022).
First drafts are due on 26 November, for publication on 24 December. After you send us your first draft, your editor will get back to you with their comments, which you will review before publication.
The article will be translated and promoted on social media.
We understand this topic may be highly sensitive. If any writer wishes to remain anonymous, we commit to protecting their identity.
Please be aware that any opinions you express in your article will be yours alone and not reflect Routed's general stance.