The United Nations Association of Greater Milwaukee invites you to a highly informative Zoom program on
Migration to Europe and The Rise of Populism
Presented by Jessamy Garver-Affeldt
Saturday – April 11th, 2026
10:00 am – 11:30 am
Free and open to the public.
This program will be available only through Zoom.
Click on the following link to join the Zoom session virtually with video.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7165675210?pwd=3bpCUnhmuyVGonBaNxQCcFJRPi3JD1.1&omn=81540110210
To attend the program by phone only – no video
Dial: 1.312.626.6799
Type in the Zoom ID: 716 567 5210
If needed, type in the Passcode: 1966
In her presentation, Jessamy Garver-Affeldt will focus on migration in and to Europe at a moment of increasing populism. We will start from a historical perspective on Europe as a continent of migration, and then gain perspective on the circumstances in which people are currently choosing to migrate to Europe. We'll take a brief look at current migration trends and statistics in Europe to gain a better understanding of the actual situation, and then examine connections between migration and populism in Europe.
By participating in this program, you will gain answers to the following questions.
What is the definition of “Populism?”
What arguments do populist leaders make against migration?
What tactics do they use to keep migrants at arms' length?
How do their migration policies compare to those of more traditional European governments?
Finally, we'll turn to demographic realities in Europe, and the role migration plays vis-a-vis these realities, before ending with a consideration of future prospects for the migration debate in Europe.
Jessamy Garver- Affeldt has spent the last seven years researching migration in Africa for the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC), seeking to bring the voices and experiences of migrants to a wider audience. She is responsible for more than sixty publications in this period. From 2019 through 2023, Jessamy was based in Dakar, Senegal, managing the MMC's research outputs for West and North Africa. She is currently an independent consultant whose recent projects have focused on migration in the East and Horn of Africa region, Southern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean.
Her interest in migration issues dates from her time as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Gambia. Prior to joining the MMC, Jessamy was Head of Sub-Office for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Hargeisa, Somaliland.
In addition to her focus on migration, she has a professional background in peacebuilding and development, with an emphasis on community-based participatory research. Jessamy holds an MA with focus on international law and international migration from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and an MSc in Migration Studies from the University of Oxford.
Please share this message with any organization or people you think would be interested in joining us.
For more information, contact Jerry Rousseau
jerroldbrousseau@gmail.com (email) / 414.915.1123 (Phone)