In late January, the Migration Matters team traveled to Antalya to take part in the Final Conference of the GAPs project, marking the conclusion of a three-year journey of collaborative research, exchange, and critical reflection on return migration. Hosted at Akdeniz University, the conference brought together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and refugee rights organizations from more than 30 countries for two days of exchange.
Under the title “Navigating Return Migration: What Next? Diplomacy, Infrastructures, and Pathways Beyond”, the conference set out to interrogate persistent gaps between return migration policies, their implementation on the ground, and the lived realities of people affected by return. Across 12 panels, two keynote talks delivered by Anna Triandafyllidou (CERC Migration) and Linda Oucho (African Migration and Development Policy Centre), and 45 presentations, participants explored return migration not as a neat policy endpoint, but as part of complex and often fragmented migration trajectories.
Anna Triandafyllidou (CERC Migration) delivers a keynote speech
A recurring theme throughout the conference was the disconnect between policy narratives and migrant experiences. While returns are frequently framed as “voluntary,” “durable,” or even a “triple-win,” research presented highlighted how coercion is often embedded in return processes—through legal pressure, limited alternatives, or conditional assistance. Panels on Return Migration Infrastructures and Migration Trajectories offered valuable lenses for understanding how returns are shaped by networks of actors, technologies, material conditions, and everyday practices, bringing to light under-discussed dynamics such as informal arrangements, strategic non-engagement by states, and shifting migrant aspirations over time.
For us at Migration Matters, the conference was also a moment to reflect on our role within the GAPs project. As communications partners, we have worked closely with the research consortium to translate complex academic insights into accessible, public-facing formats. Bernadette and Sophia led the concluding session of the conference, showcasing our work on informative videos and digital storytelling, which sparked a broader discussion on knowledge transfer and communication on migration in times of rising right-wing sentiment.
It was a special moment to share three years of collaboration with partners and peers, present our Rethinking Return Migration video series, and exchange ideas beyond the formal panels—over shared meals and informal conversations. These moments of connection were a reminder that meaningful work on migration also happens through dialogue, trust-building, and interdisciplinary exchange.
Bernadette and Sophia from Migration Matters presenting project videos
As the GAPs project comes to a close, the questions raised in Antalya remain relevant: how can return policies better account for migrant agency and dignity? What alternatives exist beyond enforcement-driven approaches? And how can research, storytelling, and advocacy work together to challenge dominant narratives around return and deportation?
Our Rethinking Return Migration video series is now available on our website and YouTube. We’re grateful to have been part of this collective process and look forward to continuing the conversations sparked at the GAPs Final Conference.
Photos by Secil Akbas and Kudbettin Arik