Academics from the central Maghreb region of North Africa – encompassing Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia – and from across the UK were among the guests at a summit hosted at Keele University this week to present the findings of a major research project. 

The Maghreb Action on Displacement and Rights (MADAR) project is a four-year study which was launched in 2020 and aims to directly impact the lives of people affected by displacement in the Maghreb region, where thousands of refugees are fleeing from conflict and poverty in countries across Africa and the Middle East. 

Led by Keele’s Professor Mariangela Palladino, the £2 million research project was funded by the UKRI Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Collective Programme (Network Plus). MADAR’s team also includes co-Investigators from the Universities of Edinburgh, Liverpool and Manchester, and International Co-Investigators and partners in the Maghreb. 

Working across 3 countries, over 4 years, with 11 projects, the team held 20 workshops and engagement events, conducted 400 qualitative interviews, 1000 quantitative surveys, and engaged with over 1500 local, national and international stakeholders - including 1400 displaced people in the region. 

MADAR generated important new data, addressing gaps in the field and providing critical insights into migratory journeys and the living conditions of vulnerable displaced people in host countries. The research assessed migrants’ access to services, it examined the relationships between migrant and host communities; it focused on gender-specific vulnerabilities, the informal economy, mobility, reproductive health, migration policies, and racism. Drawing on this wealth of data, MADAR foregrounds both cultural and policy-based solutions.  

Guests at the event took part in a number of panel discussions, with the team also showcasing the work they have produced as part of the project including case studies and interviews with displaced people from the Maghreb region, and screenings of short films and documentaries produced for the research. 

Professor Palladino said: “As ongoing conflicts continue to displace thousands of people and affect lives, it is paramount to hear and learn from research and practice from across North Africa and the region. The symposium has offered an opportunity to reflect on and engage with the findings from MADAR, as we move into the last phase of the project.  

“We were thrilled that our funders (AHRC) participated in the event, as well as colleagues and students from the institution and beyond. Most importantly, we’ve welcomed here at Keele colleagues from the team across the Maghreb. I also take the opportunity to acknowledge some ‘empty chairs’ that we had around the table – colleagues who were not granted visas – as a continuous and stark reminder that mobility remains a privilege.”