Dear all, We’d like to share details of the next two DEMIG Talks taking place in April. We are pleased to welcome Riadh Ben Khalifa and Michael Collyer as our upcoming speakers. ──────────────────────────────────────── 1) Anti-Sub-Saharan Migrant Discourse in Tunisia: Between European Influences and Local Dynamics of Politicization and Racialization Thu, 9 April 2026 | 14:00–15:00 CET | online Speaker: Riadh Ben Khalifa, University of Tunis, Associate Professor of Contemporary History and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences Why has anti–sub-Saharan migrant discourse intensified in Tunisia since 2023, and how do European narratives and domestic dynamics interact? This talk examines the growing politicization and racialization of sub‑Saharan migration. It highlights how Tunisia’s position within the EU’s political, economic, and intellectual sphere shapes a security-driven framing—especially via bilateral cooperation that reinforces the criminalization of irregular migration. At the same time, identity tensions and transnational xenophobic narratives cultivate a sense of “invasion,” feeding conspiracy theories and legitimizing administrative rigidity and racialized attitudes. Yet European influence alone does not explain the rise in hostility: domestic factors such as economic crisis, the absence of a coherent migration policy, the spatial concentration of sub‑Saharan communities, everyday racism, and populist rhetoric also decisively shape public discourse. Zoom (direct link): https://donau-uni.zoom.us/j/66123374819?pwd=2kwamTgXjaxgGiyvXOwNImr9oatCzz.1 ──────────────────────────────────────── 2) Support beyond the State: (In)formal Social Assistance and Displacement Thu, 16 April 2026 | 13:00–14:00 CET | hybrid Speaker: Michael Collyer, University of Sussex, Professor of Geography and Head of the Department of Geography Social assistance research often treats the state as the main provider of direct support, since it is—in theory—the only actor with the capacity and legitimacy to reach an entire population. In practice, however, state institutions are often sources of insecurity and largely absent as welfare actors beyond limited subsidies, a situation that is particularly severe for displaced people (refugees and IDPs alike). While specialist international agencies sometimes provide targeted support—often via government channels—this assistance is rarely regular or predictable and is frequently insufficient in situations of long-term displacement. The talk therefore examines other sources of support, often referred to as “informal” or “vernacular” social assistance. It draws on research with refugees and IDPs in DRC, Lebanon, and Pakistan, combining two projects and using large-scale surveys supplemented by interviews and Q method. The findings show that displaced people strategise around a wide range of sources of social assistance—an enduring reality with important implications for state engagement in displacement crises. Format (hybrid): on site at the University for Continuing Education Krems (Room W 1.06) and online via Zoom: https://donau-uni.zoom.us/j/68125956091?pwd=JJ8Cl4fVce7RAIuCzVO6bBcFu7W9zP.1 We look forward to welcoming you to one—or both—sessions. With best regards, Franziska Klauser Public Relations University for Continuing Education Krems | Department for Migration and Globalisation Dr.-Karl-Dorrek-Strasse 30, 3500 Krems T: +43 2732 893-5574 W: www.donau-uni.ac.at/en/mig<http://www.donau-uni.ac.at/en/mig>