Cristina Montefusco
Visiting Toronto Metropolitan University
Spring 2026
Since 2000, Cristina Montefusco has been engaged in migration-related issues, providing policy advice, conducting research, teaching, and managing and evaluating EU-funded projects and programmes. She holds a Ph.D. in Juridical Sciences from the University of Roma Tre. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the legal treatment of Roma and Sinti under EU Law, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the European Social Charter. Cristina has worked for many years at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), as well as for national, regional, and local administrations and NGOs, across a range of thematic areas. Since 2019, she has been working for the European Commission on the monitoring and evaluation of migration-related projects and programmes. In July 2024, she joined the Italian Ministry of Interior’s Department for Civil Liberties and Immigration, focusing on Assisted Voluntary Returns and Reintegration. As of June 2025, she works at UNAR, Italy’s Anti-Racial Discrimination Office, providing expert support on migrant integration policies and programming.
Research focus while a Fellow with CERC
The fellowship offers an opportunity to focus on recent developments in Italy and the EU in the field of Return, particularly Voluntary Returns and Return Counselling. Return has become a growing priority at all levels, as reflected in the 2021 EU Strategy on AVRR, the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, the proposed Return Regulation, and increased emphasis on counselling. During my stay at CERC, I propose to draft a paper/article for publication and/or organize a workshop to explore these evolving dynamics and contribute to the academic and policy debate on return practices.
Publications
Journal Articles:
(2023) Normativa e policy europee in materia di prevenzione e contrasto alla discriminazione razziale: novità e prospettive. In Mondi Migranti, Franco Angeli Journals & Series.
Reports:
(2023) Analisi degli Sportelli Immigrazione/Punti Unici di Accesso (PUA) in Umbria nell’ambito della governance regionale: ruolo e funzioni degli sportelli one-stop-shop e loro effetti sulle politiche pubbliche locali per l’integrazione dei cittadini di Paesi terzi.
(2023) Evaluation report – Training course Migration management: training of local bodies.