News & Events

TMCIS Hosted the 16th Annual CARFMS Conference at TMU!

From Monday, May 26 to Thursday, May 29, 2025, the Toronto Metropolitan Centre for Immigration and Settlement (TMCIS) proudly hosted the 16th Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies (CARFMS) at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). This marks a full decade since TMU (formerly Ryerson University) last hosted CARFMS, making this year’s gathering a significant moment of return and reflection. While we reconvene in the familiar spaces of TMU, much has changed over the past decade— not only the university’s name change, but also the complex and evolving drivers of forced migration, both regionally and globally. As these challenges transcend borders, this year’s conference aims to foster cross-border dialogue and reflection, with a focus on Canadian, regional, and international responses to forced migration.

The conference brought together over 200 attendees—researchers, practitioners, policymakers, students, and people with lived experience of displacement—to share knowledge and build community around pressing global migration issues.

This year’s theme, “Canadian, Regional, and International Responses to Forced Migration,” served as a call to explore both the challenges and possibilities facing migration systems, policy, and infrastructure today. The event engaged with five timely and interconnected sub-themes that reflected the complexity of forced migration: Peacebuilding and Addressing Root Causes of Displacement; Manufacturing Crisis; Regional Approaches to Asylum in the Americas; Innovative Research Methods and Approaches; and International Cooperation in Response to Forced Migration. 

TMCIS played a central role in delivering a dynamic and well-rounded conference program. The week began with a pre-conference workshop entitled “Migration Foresight: Lessons from researching emerging migration trends,” providing space for hands-on, in-depth learning and dialogue on climate-induced displacement and data science. Co-hosted by Dr. Zhixi Zhuang (Academic Director of TMCIS) and Dr. Stephanie Stobbe, President of CARFMS, a vibrant opening reception set the tone for the days ahead, with welcoming remarks delivered by TMU’s President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mohamed Lachemi to  guests from across Canada and around the world. The keynote addresses featured prominent voices in the migration space, including The Honourable Ratna Omidvar, former Canadian Senator and long-time champion for immigration and equity, and Abdullahi Dahir Mire, the 2023 UN Refugee Award Laureate . Across four days, the program featured 39 concurrent sessions with presenters from diverse academic, community, and policy backgrounds. Plenary sessions fostered cross-sectoral conversation, and the conference concluded with a powerful keynote by Senator Marilou McPhedran.

TMCIS extends heartfelt thanks to both our internal and external partners and  sponsors, whose generous support made this event possible. Special thanks to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), The Neighbourhood Organization (TNO), FCJ Refugee Centre, the Centre for Refugee Studies at York University, Nepalese Society of Nova Scotia, and the Canadian Bhutanese Society. At TMU, we have received tremendous support from the following offices, schools, and departments, including:

• the Office of the President

• the Office of the Provost,

• Faculty of Community Services,

• Yeates School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies,

• Lincoln Alexander School of Law,

• School of Urban and Regional Planning,

• Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing,

• Master of Arts program in Immigration and Settlement Studies,

• School of Journalism,

• Department of Sociology, and

• Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration.

The generous support from our internal and external sponsors reflects a strong, collective commitment to addressing the pressing issues of forced migration.

Behind the scenes, this event was made possible by the tireless work of the Conference Organizing Committee, chaired by Dr. Zhixi Zhuang, and supported by the following dedicated committee members: Dr. Stephanie Stobbe, Dr. Idil Atak, Michele Millard, Dr. Kateryna Metersky, Dr. Yousef Aleghfeli, Dr. Rabindra Chaulagain, Rachel McNally, Bich Dong, and Dr. Sorpong Peou. Additionally, the conference was coordinated by TMCIS’ Project Coordinators Dina Dong and Raphaella Valeri, and supported by eight student interns from various disciplines at TMU: Safiyyah Memon, Daniela Paredes Flores, Nadirah Sukhram, Jenna Fairey, Isabel Vilarino, Aia Bakir, Ream Zreik, and Sara Lee. 

The leadership, professionalism, and care of these individuals were instrumental in shaping every aspect of the conference experience. We also want to extend our sincere gratitude to all of the attendees for their active participation, thoughtful contributions, and strong commitment to advancing dialogue on forced migration. TMCIS is proud to host the 2025 CARFMS conference and to have fostered meaningful dialogue, community building, and knowledge exchange at this critical time.

Learn more about the CARFMS 2025 Conference (external link)