On December 18, 2017, Vienna hosted an OSCE and IOM international conference «Perception is not Reality – Towards a New Narrative of Migration» on the occasion of International Migrants Day.
On December 18, 2017, Vienna hosted an OSCE and IOM international conference «Perception is not Reality – Towards a New Narrative of Migration» on the occasion of International Migrants Day.
The aim of the event was to discuss the possibilities of bridging the gap between the perception of migrants and migration and the reality based on facts and research. The agenda of the conference included issues such as the role of the state, the media, and the expert community in overcoming this gap; methods for communicating knowledge about migrants derived from research to the general public; ways to debunk myths and stereotypes against migrants. Issues of migration regulation and tools for providing channels and opportunities for legal and safe migration, integration of migrants, and also the adaptation of the host society to the presence of migrants were discussed.
Over 100 representatives of international organizations, academic and expert community took part in the event.
Elena Alekseenkova, RIAC Program Manager, made a report about Russia’s narratives on the migration issue.
