Connecting practitioners and academics. The Congress is organised by the Association for Legal Intervention and the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Warsaw, in cooperation with UNHCR Poland and the Network of Migration Lawyers.
The I Congress of Migration and Refugee Law, organised on 28–29 September 2026 at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Warsaw, will provide a platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience between practitioners and legal scholars. In light of dynamic legislative changes, intensifying migration processes, and the politicisation of this issue, cooperation between these communities is particularly needed.
In recent years, the Polish system of migration and refugee law has undergone significant restructuring, and important changes have also occurred at the EU and international levels, including in connection with the New EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, the Chișinău Declaration, and the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. We invite practitioners and researchers to a joint, in-depth debate on law and its application in practice.
The plenary sessions will be dedicated to key challenges in migration and refugee law, including access to international protection and detention of foreign nationals. They will also provide a forum for discussion on cooperation between communities involved in the creation and application of law.
Parallel panels will allow participants to view migration and refugee law from the perspective of academia, practice, and the individual experiences of foreign nationals. Discussions will cover, among other topics, legalisation of stay, the labour market, protection of particularly vulnerable groups, the situation of Ukrainian citizens, and the New EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.
The special guest of the Congress will be dr L.R. Glas, who will deliver a lecture titled "The Chișinău Declaration on Migration and the European Convention on Human Rights: Facts, Analysis and Aftermath". The presentation, delivered in English, will be simultaneously translated into Polish.
The programme includes a screening of Paulina Zając's multi-award-winning film "Wizyta" (The Visit), inspired by true stories. The film depicts an inspection of a Polish woman and an Algerian man's marriage, illustrating mechanisms of institutional violence, power relations, and subtle manifestations of racism.
The Congress will be attended by renowned researchers and practitioners: judges, barristers, legal advisors, representatives of public institutions and social organisations. The diverse experiences of the panellists will allow for a confrontation of legal regulations with their practical application.
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