Dates: November 2–3, 2026 (1.5 days)
Time: 09:00-13:00 CET / 10:00-14:00 EET
Venue: Sofia & Online (Zoom)
We are pleased to invite you to participate in the international hybrid conference “Europe in Motion: Labour Migrants or Mobile Workers? Legal and Social Perspectives on the Right to Decent Work”, to be held in Sofia and online via Zoom on November 2–3, 2026.
The conference focuses on the dynamics of labour mobility in Europe and the challenges of guaranteeing the right to decent work in the context of growing transnational employment.
The event explores the key issue of the distinction between labour migrants and mobile workers—concepts that have significant legal and social dimensions and lead to different levels of protection for labour and social rights.
The conference brings together experts in the fields of labour law, social policy, migration studies, and practice to discuss:
✓ the European Union’s legal frameworks governing the free movement of workers;
✓ access to social security and the cross-border portability of rights;
✓ the risks of exploitation, precarious employment, and social dumping;
✓ mechanisms to ensure decent working conditions for all workers, regardless of their status;
✓ the specific challenges facing the labour and social systems of European Union countries with predominantly incoming or predominantly outgoing, as well as mixed forms of labour mobility.
Particular attention is paid to vulnerable groups of mobile workers, including seasonal workers, posted workers, and low-skilled workers, as well as to the role of institutions, trade unions, and civil society in protecting their rights.
The aim of the conference is to promote interdisciplinary dialogue and contribute to the formulation of policies that ensure equality, social justice, and real access to decent working conditions within the European Union.
Thematic areas:
✓ Migration and mobile citizenship (including migration processes, data, and trends)
✓ Decent work and protection of mobile workers
✓ Social inclusion, equal access, and anti-discrimination
Format:
The conference will be held in a hybrid format – on-site in Sofia and online via Zoom.
About the Organizers:
The conference is organized within the framework of the Transnational Migrant Counselling for Decent Work (TRAM4DW) project, funded by the Erasmus+ programme.
The project is implemented by a partnership of nine organisations – universities, a research centre, and NGOs – from five countries: Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Bulgaria, and Ukraine.
TRAM4DW aims to improve the labour and social participation of mobile workers in the EU by strengthening preventive counselling capacities and promoting the right to decent work. The project establishes a network of transnational hubs (Hamburg, Madrid, Sofia, and Kyiv) providing training, internships, and international exchange, while supporting mobile workers and helping prevent exploitation, discrimination, and de-qualification.
More information: coming soon
