Australian Immigration Daily News

11 – 13 February, 2015, at Rydges on Swanston, Melbourne, Australia

The First International Conference on Migration, Social Disadvantage and Health will be held on 11 – 13 February, 2015 and is being hosted by the Global Health and Society Unit under the leadership of Associate Professor Andre Renzaho, Director, Migration, Social Disadvantage and Health Programs, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University. 

Migration Alliance is partnering with Monash University and is running the session on 'Immigration policy and its impact on migration:  Global and Australian contexts.'

Legal Training Australia has an application in with the Office of the MARA to have this conference approved for the purpose of annual migration agent Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

The overarching theme of this conference is “Toward developing national and international priorities for Migration, Health and Social wellbeing”

Most industrialised countries such as the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia have experienced demographic transformations as a result of increased migration, with immigration accounting for 40% of the total population growth in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, between 2001 and 2011. In Australia, the 2011 census showed that 27% of the Australian population were born overseas. Following migration, immigrants contribute significantly to the cultural, social and economic fabric of the host country. While their contribution to the host society continues to be acknowledged, forums that bring together scientific researchers on migration and health to share the current state of evidence are lacking due to limited funding opportunities.

This international conference is aiming to provide a knowledge exchange platform on health and social issues surrounding migrants. By using renowned speakers from key national and international organisations, we aim to promote a better understanding of these issues and enable pathways for adequate dissemination and uptake of this knowledge. We anticipate delegates from varied settings including government, non-government organisations, universities, human aid organisations, industry sectors and other key stakeholders from around the globe.

The proceedings of this conference will lead to publications to build the evidence base on migration and health, to further inform policymaking. We hope to address these important and urgent issues in this conference which will set the milestone for a journey into the world of challenges and opportunities surrounding Migration, Social disadvantage and Health.

A call for abstracts is open for presentations focusing on the following conference topics Abstracts should align to one of the five conference themes, of which examples are given under each heading. Examples are not exclusive and submissions covering other topics will be considered as long as they match one of the five conference themes.

• Internal displacement and international migration: discourses, controversies and discoveries
• Natural disasters and climate change: the consequences and opportunities related to international migration
• Man-made and civil conflict
• Complex humanitarian emergencies and development practice
• Voluntary or economic migration
• Policies, responses and needs
• Social determinants and epidemiology of migration health, and burden of diseases
• Perceived discrimination, social stigma & mental health
• The socio-cultural and fiscal impact of immigration
• Healthy migrant effect vs. the salmon bias hypothesis: strength of the evidence
• Disease prevalence: communicable and non-communicable diseases
• Travel medicine: cross border disease prevention: patterns, opportunities, and threats
• Socioeconomic status, health literacy and health: lessons learnt and new directions
• Migration, family reconstruction, intergenerational relationship, and health
• Intervention to reduce migration-related inequalities: what works, for whom, and in what circumstances?
• Good practice in health service delivery: evidence for cultural competency and guidelines to reduce migration-related inequalities
• Community-based organisations and NGOs’ role in migrant settlements: what can be learnt?
• Impact of emergency response and international development aid on internal displacement
• Development-induced displacement and resettlement
• Immigration policy and its impact on migration: global and Australian contexts
• A healthy Australia: challenges and opportunities
• The political and health dimensions of pre-migration medical screening
• Brain drain, professional and economic migrants
• Policy response to migration: an international comparison
• Temporary residents, student migrants and permanent residents
• Refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants
• Examining the medical and social harms of detention and deportation
• Asylum seekers in transition countries
• Stateless people and forced migration, e.g., child trafficking
• Resettling asylum seekers in third countries

For more information or to submit an abstract please visit this website: http://www.international-migration-conference2015.net.au/

Migration Alliance (MA) has negotiated a special rate for MA members to attend the conference.  The fee for MA members for 3 days is $400 which is $150 off the normal delegate rate.  A $50 administration fee will apply for any person wishing to have LTA report the CPD as 'completed' after attendance at the conference.