The Governance of Migration in a Globalizing World

Our approach

Migration is a central component of an increasingly interconnected world which shapes economies, communities, and political dynamics across countries and regions. As people move for work, safety, family, education, and opportunity, the governance of migration extends well beyond national borders and involves a wide range of actors, including states, cities, migrant organizations, civil society, international organizations, and the private sector.

In recent years, global and regional frameworks, such as the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees, have strengthened shared principles and coordination in migration governance. At the same time, new forms of cooperation, partnership, and policy innovation are emerging, and together, these developments create opportunities to advance stronger approaches to governing mobility in a globalized world.

Our research focus

Research under this theme examines how migration is governed across local, national, regional, and global levels, and how governance arrangements evolve in response to changing patterns of mobility. It focuses on the institutions, policies, and practices that shape migration outcomes, as well as the opportunities for collaboration and collective action across borders.

Key areas of inquiry include:

• Governance frameworks for different drivers of immigration and emigration, including labour mobility, asylum and refugee protection, return and reintegration, and mixed migration across internal, regional, and intercontinental contexts
• Migration governance processes, including bilateral and multilateral agreements, regional consultative mechanisms, and international cooperation initiatives
• Asylum, refugee protection, and resettlement governance, including the interaction between domestic, regional, and international frameworks
• Approaches to irregular migration and the policy tools used to manage mobility in diverse political and institutional settings
• The growing role of data, digital technologies, and information systems in shaping migration governance, coordination, and accountability