Summer School on Migration and Human Rights, Rome (Italy), 13 to 17 July 2026

International migration and human mobility are among the most pressing policy and security challenges of our time. Recent United Nations frameworks emphasise the urgent need for a migration governance  firmly grounded in international human rights norms, while also addressing legitimate security concerns related to border management, transnational crime, and the protection of both communities and migrants. These frameworks call for expanding safe and regular pathways, protecting vulnerable groups, and stronger international cooperation to respond effectively to forced displacement, mixed migration flows, climate-related mobility, and relocation arising from protracted crises.

These global dynamics are reflected in the scale and complexity of contemporary displacement. According to the 2024 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Global Trends, over 123 million people worldwide have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, violence, persecution, human rights violations, and events seriously disturbing public order. This figure includes over 42 million refugees and others in need of international protection, 73.5 million internally displaced people (IDPs), and 8.4 million asylum seekers. In addition, 4.4 million people remain stateless, denied nationality and consequently deprived of fundamental rights such as access to education, health care, lawful employment, and freedom of movement.

At the same time, transnational trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants continue to represent highly lucrative criminal activities, with routes affecting all regions of the world. According to the Observatory on Smuggling of Migrants of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the financial value of migrant smuggling by sea along the Central Mediterranean Route in 2023 is estimated at US$290–370 million. Meanwhile, the 2024 Global Report on Human Trafficking recorded a troubling 25% increase in the detection of victims and identified 436 cross-border trafficking flows involving 162 nationalities across 128 destination countries.

Migration governance is also being reshaped by the rapid development of digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI), which are increasingly employed in border management, biometric identification, risk profiling, and case processing. While these tools may enhance efficiency and support humanitarian coordination, they also raise significant human rights concerns. Without robust legal, ethical, and accountability safeguards, there is a real risk of privacy violations, algorithmic bias, lack of transparency, and weakened due process guarantees.

Public debate on migration is further complicated by the spread of disinformation, misinformation and malinformation, especially through the internet and social media,  fueling harmful narratives that portray migrants as security threats or social burdens. In this context, new technologies can support the dissemination of counter-narratives grounded in evidence, human rights, and accurate data, which are increasingly recognized as essential tools to counter polarization, challenge stereotypes, and foster more informed and constructive public discourse on migration.

Throughout the course, participants will engage with a range of key issues. Some of the topics that will be addressed include:

• International human rights, humanitarian, migration, anti-trafficking, and asylum laws

• Rights of asylum seekers and refugees under international and European law

• Irregular migration: balancing human rights and security

• Migrant protection and assistance

• Right to health for migrants and refugees

• Protection of migrant children

• Interreligious dialogue and the social inclusion of migrants and refugees

• Migration, development, and integration

• AI and digital border management: human rights implications

• Algorithmic decision-making in migration systems

• Disinformation, public narratives on migration, and counter-narratives

The Summer School offers a comprehensive exploration of professional, legal, social, scientific, and academic perspectives through theoretical lectures, group discussions, dynamic case studies, individual readings, and practical exercises. The faculty of the Summer School comprises leading scholars and academics from John Cabot University and other universities, along with representatives from the United Nations system, international human rights bodies, and civil society.

By attending the course in person at JCU’s beautiful campuses in the heart of Rome, participants will have the unique opportunity to interact with internationally recognised experts and peers from around the world, exchange views and opinions and build lasting professional relationships. This experience promotes intercultural dialogue and deepens understanding of some of the world’s most complex and debated issues