Mixed Migration Review 2023

Short Essay Competition – Alternative Perspectives

Note: Submissions are now closed.

The Mixed Migration Review (MMR), the annual flagship report of the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC) aims to offer a platform for different voices in the migration debate. We are therefore inviting young researchers and writers on migration, from and based in Asia, Africa or Latin America to enter a short essay competition. The 5 winners will have their essays published in a section of the MMR2023 dedicated to “Alternative Perspectives” and receive a prize of USD 1,000 each.
The competition is open to writers from and based in Asia, Africa or Latin America who are 30 years of age or younger. The winning essays will need to offer your perspectives on any of the following mixed migration issues:
  • Human smuggling and/or human trafficking
  • Migration policies, governance and solutions to migration challenges
  • Irregular migration

Your essay needs to be about the country you’re from or another country in your region. The essay should take the form of an opinion piece or personal story and we invite you to come up with concrete ideas for better migration policies. We do not invite for analytical, academic or conceptual pieces. We want to hear your own ideas. Criteria to assess both the abstracts and final essays are the quality of writing/writing style and the originality/creativity.

Only 1 abstract per applicant is accepted, but co-authorship (multiple authors on one essay) is accepted. However, the prize money is per essay and can only be transferred to 1 person.

Submit an abstract in English of no more than 250 words by the 5th of May 2023. Note: we are no longer accepting submissions. 

Next steps after submission of the abstracts
The most interesting abstracts will be selected by the MMC review team, and their authors will then be asked to compete for the essay prizes. Those invited to compete on the basis of accepted abstracts will be informed by the 26th of May and have one month to complete their 1,500 words essay (note: this will be a strict word limit; essays exceeding 1,500 words will disqualify). All final essays need to be submitted by the 23rd of June. The outcome of the competition will be announced by the 14th of July. No prizes are given for having an abstract accepted and being invited to join the competition. A maximum of 5 essays will be selected for publication in the MMR2023 and their five authors will be given the prize money.

Any questions? Please contact alternative.perspectives@mixedmigration.org