DeZIM Book Discussion | Remaking Europe.

How We Shape Refugee Protection and Preserve Democracy

When: Thursday, September 10, 2026, 6:00–8:00 p
.m. Where: Mauerstraße 76, 10117 Berlin, DeZIM.Saal

Please register by September 9, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. using the following link: REGISTRATION

Migration and asylum are among the most contentious issues of our time—and are becoming a litmus test of whether our democratic societies remain true to their values and rules.

From the CEAS reform to the Ceuta incident, it is clear just how much these issues shape politics: from integration at the local level to questions of national sovereignty and European values, all the way to the international order. Driven by far-right parties, a spiral of far-reaching restrictions has been set in motion that continues to intensify and is itself becoming a threat to democracy and the rule of law.

This is precisely where the book “Redefining Europe: How We Shape Refugee Protection and Preserve Democracy.” It seeks answers beyond isolationism and harsh measures. And it argues: Refugee protection and a stable democracy are not opposites, but are mutually dependent.

Three of the book’s authors will discuss visions for a different migration and refugee policy with Erik Marquardt (MEP, The Greens).

Panel 

  • Dr. Marcus Engler is a social scientist and has been conducting research at the DeZIM Institute since 2020. For years, he has been intensively engaged with refugee and migration movements as well as with German, European, and global refugee and migration policies.
  • Prof. Dr. Birgit Glorius is a social geographer and migration researcher. She is a professor of human geography specializing in European migration research at Chemnitz University of Technology.
  • Dr. Olaf Kleist is a political scientist specializing in democracy promotion, evaluation research, and research on displacement and refugees. He has been working at DeZIM since 2018 and has served as co-director of the Democracy Promotion and Democratic Practice Research Group since 2020.
  • Erik Marquardt has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2019 and serves as the head of the German Greens’ delegation there. He has been working on European asylum policy for many years and was involved, among other things, in the negotiations on the reform of the Common European Asylum System.

Moderator 

  • Dr. Olaf Kleist (DeZIM Institute)

Following the book presentation and discussion, there will be an opportunity for discussion. More information about the book can be found at the following link: Rebuilding Europe. How We Shape Refugee Protection and Preserve Democracy.

 

Registration

Please register by September 9 at 12:00 p.m. via the following link: Registration.