Religion and Migration Unit

The Religion and Migration Unit seeks both individual paper proposals and panel proposals (presider, three presenters, plus respondent). The Religion and Migration Unit is committed to diversity and inclusion. Panel session proposals should incorporate gender diversity within the panel; diversity of race/ethnicity, and rank are also highly encouraged. 

The 2026 Religion and Migration Unit Call for Papers for the Annual Meeting to be held in Denver, CO welcomes proposals on the following themes:

1. Religion & Migration: Future Trajectories and Imaginaries 

Across the globe, emerging and established communities of people on the move have come under pressure (immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented and displaced persons). In the U.S., such communities have been growing for a long period of time—with increasing diversification of the countries of origin—but they now find themselves in more unstable and unpredictable environments. Like many cities across the country, Denver has seen an increase in urban challenges as well as deportations that have led to growing concerns.

We seek papers or panel proposals that explore the past, present, and future potential for such communities in the U.S. How do the members of these communities envision their futures? What role does religion play for their imaginaries? What impact do these imaginaries have on current practices when addressing the status quo --whether navigation, resignation, resistance or other? We are particularly interested in studies that take Denver as a site or starting point of reflection.

2.  Religion & Migration: Exploring Transculturalism

Transculturalism involves a process where elements from different cultures are taken, transformed, and merged, leading to a new and complex cultural identity that extends beyond national or ethnic boundaries. 

As a dynamic process, it is active and ongoing, rather than static. By exploring the concept of transculturalism from different vantage points, we can begin to think through the practical implications across the globe from diverse locations and cultural perspectives. How are the ongoing forces of transculturalism shaping migrant identities and experiences? How do im/migrant communities represent, construct or reconstruct cultural identities and traditions abroad? How, or in what ways do transnational communities connect and transcend real or imagined borders? What is the impact of religion and migration on beliefs and practices, on socio-politico experiences and belonging, or bridging home and host countries? What is lost, gained or reinterpreted as a result of migration experiences and transcultural processes?

   3. Religion, Migration, and Third-Country Deportations

Third-country deportations—understood as the removal of individuals in transit to states other than their countries of origin—have become a significant policy instrument in both European and American contexts. In the United States, recent years have seen a marked expansion of this provision within immigration law. While reports indicate that some deportees are held in foreign detention facilities, authorities often lack comprehensive information about the location and conditions of many others. These practices raise important questions concerning the intersection of deportation policies with religious and cultural considerations, particularly in light of national and international legal prohibitions against transferring individuals to contexts where their religious freedom may be at risk.

This call invites paper and panel proposals that critically engage with the nexus of religion, migration, and third-country deportations from empirical, explanatory, and normative perspectives. Submissions are welcomed from a broad range of disciplinary approaches, including but not limited to religious studies, human geography, law, political science, sociology, cultural studies, and theology. Of particular interest are contributions that highlight interdisciplinary perspectives on agency and lived experiences, as well as those that explore the broader implications of third-country deportations for religious liberty, human rights, and global migration governance.