NOVA Refugee and Migration Clinic
About NRMC
NOVA Refugee & Migration Clinic is an original knowledge centre of CEDIS (Centre for Research on Law and Society) that is dedicated to clinical research and other impact-oriented activities in the area of migration and asylum law. One of its distinguishing features as a clinic is the seamless integration of research into its activities, recognizing the essential connection between research and traditional clinical practices. Its organization relies on the active involvement of faculty, students, lawyers and civil society actors in research projects, campaigning, advocacy and support activities related to the rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. The clinic is committed to:
- Engagement with – and involvement of – some of the most important actors operating in the field, such as institutions, lawyers, government and civil society actors;
- Influencing public debate within and beyond academic circles through publication of blog posts, articles, reports, as well as public events organized at NOVA School of Law;
- Fostering the development of critical thinking in public debates within and beyond academic circles.
Types of activities:
- Research-based advocacy and campaigning within and beyond academic circles. This includes a variety of activities such as the writing and publication of blog posts, reports, the production of podcasts, the organization of workshops, seminars/webinars and conferences).
- Assistance for pro bono legal initiatives in relation to migrants and asylum seekers.
- Consultancy and training in the area of migration and asylum.
In April 2024, Cedis awarded the first FCT Doctoral Scholarship for NRMC activities, underscoring the clinic’s dedication to both research and engagement with civil society.
The NRMC’s research activities are conducted along the following research lines:
- Migration, Asylum and Civil Society
- Gender & Intersectionality in Migration and Asylum
- Migration, Asylum and the Law of the Sea
- Migration, Asylum and Processes of Securitization
- Migration, Asylum and Digital Transformation
- Migration, Asylum and Vulnerability
Forthcoming research lines include:
- Migration, Asylum and Coloniality
- Child Migrants and Asylum Seekers
Activities
The NRMC is engaged in numerous research projects focusing on various aspects of migration and asylum, including securitisation and border controls, gender and sexuality, digital transformation, and vulnerability. Key initiatives include:
- The ‘Monthly Migration and Asylum Talks’ Series wherein renowned academics and civil society experts discuss pressing topics on migration and asylum, explore new approaches, and address key challenges in Portugal and beyond.
- The NRMC Blog features research outputs and discussions on contemporary migration issues along the clinic’s research lines.
- The “Coffee with the Expert” monthly podcast series, a platform for experts from academia, civil society, and activism to share their field experiences, challenges, and motivations.
- Community engagement initiatives such as the 16-day activism campaign and the EU elections campaign.
- Workshops and courses along the Clinic’s research lines for NRMC Members.
Highlights in Outputs and Impact
Output:
A series of blog posts discussing contemporary issues in migration and asylum law.
Recorded webinars and roundtable discussions within the framework of monthly ‘Migration and Asylum Talks’ Series, addressing pressing migration issues and new approaches.
The “Coffee with the Expert” podcast series, featuring discussions with experts from academia, civil society, and activism on field experiences, challenges, and motivations.
The 16-day activism campaign against gender-based violence focusing on raising awareness and advocating for migrant rights in the context of gender-based violence.
The EU elections campaign aimed at educating and mobilizing voters on migration-related issues.
Recent Publications
- Veronica Corcodel, ‘Europe’s Refugee ‘Crises’ and the Colonial Legacies in EU Migration and Asylum Law’ in Hanna Eklund (ed.) Colonialism and the EU Legal Order (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming 2024/2025).
- Morais, T. and Hansia, A. (2024). “Stuck in immobility: LGBTQIA+ persons in Uganda caught in the intersectional impact of the Anti-Homosexuality Act” Netwerk Fluchtforschung Blog [04 Jul 2024].
- Beatriz Martins, Clara Pinto Ribeiro & Cláudia Baptista, Fundamental Rights Challenges and the Role of Frontex in Joint Operations: Insights Based on the WS v Frontex Case NRMC Blog [09 Apr 2024].
- Veronica Corcodel, ‘Fundamental Rights Challenges and the Pre-Entry Screening Procedure under the New Pact on Migration and Asylum‘, in Fábio da Silva Veiga and Paulo de Brito (eds.), FutureLaw, vol V. p. 51 (Instituto Iberoamericano de Estudos Jurídicos, 2024).
- Margarida Lima Rego; Paulo Côrte-Real; Joana Brilhante; Miguel Vale de Almeida; Veronica Corcodfel; Maria João Resende, Multiversidade: Livro Branco sobre Discriminação Múltipla e Interseccional (Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Faculdade de Direito, 2024), ISBN 978-989-8985-22-4.
- Dimitra Fragkou, Is applying the EU Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) for Palestinian Refugees possible? Human Rights in Context Blog [08 Jan 2024].
- Inês Horta, United against GBV during the 16 days of activism – Advocating for refugee women’s rights. NRMC Blog [11 Dec 2023].
- Tatiana Morais, Addressing the Continuum of Violence with a Continuum of Resilience. Book Review ‘Difficult Life in a Refugee Camp: Gender, Violence, and Coping in Uganda’. By Ulrike Krause, Journal of Refugee Studies, Volume 36, Issue 4, December 2023, Pages 1020–1024.
- Paula Muñoz Cano, EU Migration and Asylum Law: Challenging or Reinforcing the Traditional Conception of Sovereignty? NRMC Blog [28 Nov 2023].
- Cinzia Dimonte, Too Queer or Not Queer Enough? LGBTIQ+ Asylum Seekers in the European Context. NRMC Blog [03 Nov 2023].
- Jeremy Sarkin, and Tatiana Morais, “Cost-Benefit Assessment of Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Women Reporting Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Uganda: Assessing Women’s Resilience As a Means to Protect Their Ethno-Religious Group” 38 (1) Southern African Public Law, 2023.
- Mariana Galvão, Instrumentalisation of International Migration to the EU: A Critique of Securitised Approaches NRMC Blog [29 Oct 2023].
- Luana Cardoso & Matilde Felgueiras, The Temporary Protection Directive in the Context of the 2015/2016 and the 2022/2023 ‘Crises’: Geopolitics, Race or Both? NRMC Blog [29 Oct 2023].
- Maria Marques, Susana Brazão & Vittoria Moccia, Climate-Induced Displacement: Some Reflections on Contemporary Debates NRMC Blog [27 Oct 2023].
- Fernanda Leal & Carolina Moniz Pinto, Vulnerability: An Emerging Norm in Migration and Asylum Law? NRMC Blog [10 Aug 2023].
- Veronica Corcodel and Dimitra Fragkou. “Europe’s Refugee ‘Crises’ and the Biopolitics of Risk.” European Journal of Risk Regulation, 2023, 1–15.
- Veronica Corcodel, “Legal Framings in Networked Public Spheres: The Case of Search and Rescue in the Mediterranean” in Edoardo Celeste, Amélie Heldt and Clara Iglesias Keller (eds.) in Constitutionalising Social Media, 2022, Hart Publishing.
For more publications, visit our website:
NOVA Refugee and Migration Clinic | Research | Publications
NOVA Refugee and Migration Clinic | The Clinic Blog
CEDIS Integrated Members
- Veronica Corcodel (Director – Advisory Board)
- Dimitra Fragkou (Clinical Research Coordinator, Research Associate)
- Tatiana Morais Silva (Research Associate – Campaign Leader – Advisory Board)
- Jeremy Julian Sarkin (Advisory Board)
- Soraya Nour Sckell (Research Associate)
- Francisco Pereira Coutinho (Collaborator)
- Sonia Maria Ferreira Dias (Collaborator)