Borders & Belonging
Migration is a complex phenomenon – for individuals, it is a personal journey that can result in struggle or triumph depending on life circumstances; and for countries, it can be an economic driver, or a source of social tension or even conflict.Host Maggie Perzyna, Toronto Metropolitan University, explores the complexity of migration with the help of leading academics and professionals working with migrants on the ground.Season 5 of Borders & Belonging explores spaces where migration and digital technologies collide. As conversations about AI take over popular discourse, we’re taking a step back to see how the ever expanding menu of adva...
Migration futures: Imagining migration governance in 2050
In this episode, we're looking ahead to the 2050s and imagining what the future of migration might look like. From climate change to shifting populations, we're exploring what forces could shape how and why people move in the future. This look forward helps us challenge our assumptions and prepare for possibilities we might otherwise overlook. We don't have a crystal ball to tell us exactly what the future holds, but we can look at what's happening today to imagine what might come next.
Narrative intro: Cyrus Sundar Singh is an AcademiCreActivist; a Gemini Award-winning filmmaker...
Borders & Belonging - Season 5 Trailer
Welcome to Season 5 of Borders & Belonging — the podcast that explores migration through bold research, new ideas, and stories that connect those findings to the real world. This season, we’re exploring spaces where migration and digital technologies collide. As conversations about AI take over popular discourse, we’re taking a step back to see how the ever expanding menu of advanced digital technologies is being used by migrants, civil society, and governments to facilitate, restrict, and shape global mobility.
Settle in for migration tech support.
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The Link4skills Navigator and Demographic modelling, feat. Sandra Leitner and Michaela Potančoková
In this bonus episode, Sandra Leitner and Michaela Potančoková unpack the logic behind labour force modelling and what it reveals about Europe's demographic and migration future.
Drawing on the Link4Skills Navigator, a tool built to map labour market data, skills partnerships, and demographic trends across countries, they discuss why migration is not a panacea for population aging, how Germany's long-declining fertility rates are quietly driving one of the EU's most urgent labour shortages, and why today's migrant-sending countries like Poland and Romania will soon confront shortages of their own. The...
Anna Triandafyllidou on migration governance, feat. Letizia Palumbo
From growing up in a changing Greece to becoming one of the leading voices in migration research, Anna Triandafyllidou reflects on how her work on migration governance, identity and belonging took shape. She is joined by Letizia Palumbo, whose work on labour and exploitation brings into focus how policies shape and often constrain the everyday realities of migrant life. Together, they discuss why migration policies often fail to reflect lived realities, and how labour systems and identity narratives shape that divide.
Guests: Anna Triandafyllidou, Scientific Director, Global Migration Institute, Toronto Metropolitan...
Nina Glick Schiller on transnationalism, feat. Karina Quintanilha
What happens when migration can no longer be understood within the borders of a single nation-state? Nina Glick Schiller reflects on the ideas and experiences that shaped her pioneering work on transnationalism and the power structures that shape mobility. She is joined by Karina Quintanilha, whose research explores how law, labour and inequality shape migrant lives across local and global scales.
Together, they discuss why migrants are never simply “between” places and how transnational ties are structured by power and inequality.
Guests: Nina Glick Schiller, Professor Emeritus, University of Manc...
Andreas Pott on spatial reflexivity, feat. Christine Lang
From dreaming of Olympic glory on the track to reshaping how migration studies thinks about space and knowledge, sociologist Andreas Pott reflects on the intellectual detours and shifting perspectives that led him to question the very categories migration researchers take for granted.
He is joined by Christine Lang, whose work on skilled migration in the health sector illustrates what it looks like to step back from dominant policy framings and study how migration and the spaces around it are socially produced in the first place.
Guests: Andreas Pott, Professor...
Gracia Liu-Farrer on the social construction of skill, feat. Helena Hof
What happens when a visa category becomes a verdict on your worth? Gracia Liu-Farrer reflects on the ideas and experiences that shaped her influential work on migration, labour markets and the social construction of skill. She is joined by Helena Hof, whose research examines how labels like "high-skilled" and "low-skilled" are assigned, contested and recognised across cities, institutions and borders.
Together, they discuss why skill is never simply what you know or what you can do, how power and place determine whose abilities get recognised, and what it would mean to think about t...
John Berry on acculturation theory, feat. Saba Safdar
What happens when cultures meet in everyday life? John Berry reflects on the ideas and experiences that shaped his pioneering work on acculturation, integration and belonging. He is joined by Saba Safdar, whose research examines how power, discrimination, policy and even AI shape newcomers’ experiences of adaptation. Together, they discuss how acculturation theory has evolved in an era of super-diversity, why belonging is never neutral and what societies must do to create genuine inclusion.
Guests: John Berry, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Queen’s University; Saba Safdar, Professor of Psychology and...
Adrian Favell on Eurostars and Eurocities, feat. Sarah Kunz
Adrian Favell reflects on the ideas and experiences that shaped his work on mobility, free movement and Europe's so called borderless future.
He is joined by Sarah Kunz, whose research examines how privilege, race and postcolonial histories shape who gets to move and how migration labels such as migrant, expat and mobile professional reflect power and inequality. Together, they discuss why studying privileged migration matters, how European mobility has changed over time, and how movement is increasing even as access to it becomes more unequal.
Guests: Adrian Favell, Professor...
Irene Bloemraad on citizenship as claims making, feat. Amanda Cheong
Drawing on a childhood shaped by migration and multilingualism, migration scholar Irene Bloemraad reflects on the ideas and experiences behind her influential work on citizenship as claims-making and the contested nature of belonging. She is joined by Amanda Cheong, whose research on statelessness stems from discovering her own parents were stateless before immigrating to Canada. Together, they explore how citizenship extends beyond legal status into everyday acts of belonging, how birth registration systems can deliberately exclude populations, and where agency and exclusion intersect in the modern politics of membership.
Guests: ...
Nicholas De Genova on the production of illegality and the revolving doors of asylum, feat. Soledad Álvarez Velasco
Drawing on a lifetime shaped by activism, art, and encounters with migration, leading migration scholar Nicholas De Genova reflects on the ideas and political commitments behind his influential work on the production of migrant “illegality” and the cyclical nature of asylum.
He is joined by Soledad Álvarez Velasco, whose research follows migrants across Latin America and draws on her own experiences migrating from Ecuador. Together, they explore how asylum systems reproduce illegality, how race and colonial legacies shape migration control, and where hope and solidarity emerge amid exclusion and enforcement.
Guests: Nic...
Ayşe Çağlar on migration, displacement, and urban transformation, feat. Ana Ćuković
Ayşe Çağlar shares how her experiences growing up in Turkey and living in multiple countries shaped her approach to using migrants as an entry point to explore how societies define themselves, draw boundaries, and govern communities. She is joined by Ana Ćuković, whose research looks at how displacement unfolds in cities, including Detroit through urban planning and policy, and how historical and economic contexts shape who is included or pushed out of cities.
Guests: Ayşe Çağlar, Professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Vienna; Ana Ćuković
Jørgen Carling on Aspiration, feat. Kerilyn Schewel
From his notable research on migration aspirations and the factors that shape whether people move or stay, Jørgen Carling reflects on how his early experiences in Oslo and fieldwork in West Africa shaped his approach to understanding mobility. He is joined by Kerilyn Schewel, whose work examines why people remain in place and how life goals, family ties and social constraints influence those decisions.
Guests: Jørgen Carling, Professor in Migration and Transnationalism studies, Peace Research Institute of Oslo (PRIO); Kerilyn Schewel, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of North Carolina.
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Steven Vertovec and superdiversity, feat. Maria Schiller
From growing up in suburban Chicago to studying cultural encounters in Trinidad, influential migration studies scholar Steven Vertovec reflects on how those experiences shaped the concept of superdiversity and its enduring relevance nearly two decades later. He is joined by Maria Schiller, who draws on her own research inside European city governments to show how public officials interpret and manage diversity in practice, and why policy trends often struggle to keep pace with social realities.
Guests: Steven Vertovec, Founding Director, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity; <...
Janine Dahinden on demigrantization, feat. Maissam Nimer
To kick off season 4 of Borders & Belonging, host Maggie Perzyna explores the concept of "demigranticization" in migration research with Janine Dahinden and Maissam Nimer. They discuss how the label "migrant" is not objective but rather a political construct rooted in nation-state logic that can reinforce harmful power structures and exclusion.
Both scholars argue that migration research should step back from treating migration as an isolated phenomenon and instead examine how societies create "others" to define themselves, connecting migrants' struggles with those of other marginalized groups. Despite the dark political climate and r...
Borders & Belonging: Season 4 Trailer
What happens when established voices in migration studies sit down with the rising scholars shaping the field's future? This season of Borders & Belonging explores reflexivity: the practice of turning research back on itself to examine how we know what we know.
Season 4 draws on the lived experiences of pioneering scholars whose work has transformed how we understand human movement across borders. We then ask each scholar to nominate an up-and-coming scholar they admire, whose research builds on, challenges, or complements their own.
What follows is a dialogue where mentor and mentee explore the evolution of...
What Trump’s Foreign Aid Cuts Mean for Development and Migration
How are the Trump administration's cuts to foreign aid impacting global health and development, and what challenges or opportunities is it creating?
The third episode of In Conversation discusses how reduced aid is forcing countries to look inward, rethink policy frameworks, and reflects on the impacts on youth and migration, the role of corruption, and how the global focus on growth is overshadowing sustainable development.
Guests: Linda Oucho (Executive Director, African Migration and Development Policy Center), Andre Renzaho (Professor of Humanitarian and Development Studies, Western Sydney University), Sagar R. Sharma
Unpacking Canada's Strong Borders Act: What Bill C-2 Means for Refugees in Canada
In June 2025, the Canadian Government introduced Bill C-2 as a way to strengthen border security and modernize Canada’s asylum and immigration system. However, the bill is being criticized by legal experts and human rights advocates for introducing sweeping discretionary powers for officials and arbitrary measures, including a one-year deadline to apply for refugee status.
In the second episode of In Conversation, experts explain what the bill proposes, why these provisions raise serious concerns, and what’s at stake for refugees. They also explore the implications of expanded data sharing, the removal of access to independent hearings and...
Is Trump's anti-DEI rhetoric an opportunity for Canada?
As the U.S. rolls back diversity initiatives and academic freedoms, could Canada become a magnet for top global talent – or will systemic blind spots hold us back? In the first episode of our In Conversation series, expert guests explore how Trump-era policies are rippling north, what Canada must do to stay competitive, and why it’s time to rethink how we talk about immigration, equity and inclusion.
In Conversation is the brand new segment of the Borders & Belonging podcast where leading voices dive into urgent migration issues shaping Canada and the world.
Guests: Wend...
The violence of uncertainty: Everyday impacts of precarious immigration status
Imagine this: at age three, your family relocates to a new country. You grow up normally—school, sports teams, friends. In Grade 12, you discover you lack immigration status, preventing university applications. Suddenly, you're not like your peers, and a life of hidden struggles and uncertainty unfolds. In the final episode of the season, Maggie Perzyna explores what it means to live with precarious immigration status. Researchers unpack the idea of “the violence of uncertainty”—how shifting policies, bureaucratic delays, and the threat of deportation disrupt migrants’ lives, from DACA recipients losing jobs to children denied mental health support.
Guests...
Beyond the Big City
Not everything happens in big cities. This episode explores how small and mid-sized cities in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are attracting and retaining immigrants. Researchers unpack regional migration policies, what helps newcomers settle, and how to build communities that thrive beyond the skyline.
Guests: Sarah Wiseman, Canada Branch Director, Shapiro Foundation; Melissa Kelly, Senior Research Associate at CERC Migration, TMU; and Aude Bernard, Senior Lecturer at the School of the Environment, University of Queensland.
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Skills shortages, AI and the future of work
AI, aging populations, and the energy transition: how are these forces reshaping the job market and global migration? In this episode, distinguished guests walk us through how automation is transforming industries, influencing hiring, and impacting migrant workers. Are we creating new opportunities or just making it harder for them to find decent jobs?
Guests: Mateusz Żydek, Communication Team Lead at Randstad Polska; Teseseltje De Lange, professor at Radboud University and principal investigator of the Global Strategy for Skills Migration and Development (GS4S) project; and Alexandra Przegalińska, professor at Kozminski Un...
What’s driving migration?
What shapes migration patterns across different regions? How do economic, social, and political factors drive movement in unique ways? The MEMO project seeks to untangle these complexities, mapping the connections between internal, intraregional, and intercontinental migration. In this episode, host Maggie Perzyna and her guest experts explore how bilateral agreements, regional policies, and power dynamics between origin and destination countries influence migration patterns across the globe.
Guests: Gretchen Kuhner, director of the Institute for Women in Migration, Mexico City, Claudia Masferrer, Assistant Professor, El Colegio de México, and C...
Rethinking Climate Migration: "Are We Missing the Point?"
In the premiere episode of Voices on the Move, a podcast by Migration Matters, experts delve into the complex relationship between climate change and migration. Scholars Dr. François Gemenne from the University of Liège, Dr. Nassim Majidi of Samuel Hall, and Dr. Yvonne Su from York University challenge common assumptions such as "one billion climate refugees" and explore how climate impacts habitability, mobility, and policy, offering fresh insights into this critical global issue.
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How do I decentre that?
Decentring research means challenging Western paradigms, amplifying diverse perspectives, and rethinking power dynamics and knowledge production. This is easier said than done, especially in migration studies, where control, security, and economic views dominate the debate. But understanding the lived realities of migrants must be more than just a question—it's a critical shift we can no longer ignore.
Guests: Sharon Stein, Associate Professor, University of British Columbia, founder of Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures Collective; Peggy Levitt, Chair of Sociology, Wellesley College; and Amin Moghadam, Research Lead, Cities and Migration, CERC Migration, To...
False narratives with real consequences: The impact of social media disinformation on migration policy
The rise in false narratives surrounding immigrants and refugees is often amplified by social media and manipulated for political gain. In this episode, host Maggie Perzyna unpacks the dangerous intersection between digital disinformation and immigration. Experts emphasize this critical area of study as social media networks increasingly shape public opinion and policy decisions, while false narratives about migration spread faster than ever.
Guests: Katie Paul, Director, Tech Transparency Project; Anatoliy Gruzd, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Privacy Preserving Digital Technologies, Toronto Metropolitan University; and Mattias Ekman, Associate Professor...
Irregular not irrelevant: Conceptualizing and measuring irregular migration
When exploring the big questions migration scholars are asking, irregular migration is impossible to ignore. In this episode, Maggie Perzyna engages with activists and scholars on the ground to gain deeper insights into this complex issue, the factors driving it, and the impact it has on both migrants and communities.
Guests: Brynn Campbell, founder of Aidez Nous à Aider; Ilse van Liempt, Associate Professor at Utrecht University and coordinator of Improving the Living and Labour Conditions of Irregular Migrant households in Europe (I-CLAIM); and Albert Kraler, Associate Professor at Danube U...
Artful connections: Challenging narratives of migration and belonging using arts-based methods
This episode takes a closer look at the powerful intersection of art and migration studies. How can creative expression challenge dominant narratives and help reshape the way we think about migration? Maggie Perzyna learns about art-based and community-based projects that move the needle. We also hear about WhereWeStand, a powerful multimedia storytelling project that pairs Indigenous and newcomer voices to reimagine their relationships to the land some call Turtle Island and others know as Canada.
Guests: Izzeddin Hawamda, Palestinian teacher, writer and co-founder of the interfaith dialog group Bridge; Aaron McKay...
What is a solidarity city?
This episode explores how cities can become sanctuaries for migrants and refugees. Follow Maggie Perzyna as she discovers how grassroots efforts and city-level practices can create more inclusive urban environments. We also hear about the Soli*City project, an international initiative creating urban strategies that help migrants and refugees to integrate into their communities.
Guests: Véronique Lamontagne, Lawyers Without Borders Canada; Harald Bauder, Toronto Metropolitan University; and Mary Boatemaa Setrana, University of Ghana.
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Nothing about us without us
Welcome back to Borders and Belonging! In the first episode of Season 3, host Maggie Perzyna explores the power of collective action and the importance of centering refugee voices. She is joined by three special guests to discuss how academics and policymakers can ensure that the experiences of those most affected by migration policies guide decision-making processes. What does the principle of “nothing about us without us” mean for refugee and migrant communities?
Guests: Mustafa Alio, Co-Managing Director of R-SEAT; Oroub El-Abed, Associate Professor at Birzeit University and Middle East Regional Research Coor...
Borders & Belonging: Season 3 Trailer
In Season 3 of Borders & Belonging, host Maggie Perzyna continues her mission, zooming in on the key questions being asked by migration scholars. What is the potential of city-level sanctuary policies to inspire innovative solutions for migrant and refugee inclusion at the urban level? How can research address migrant agency and the drivers of migration? How is the research being conducted at universities moving the needle on theory, methods, as well as the socio-economic and cultural landscape?
With the help of leading academics and professionals working with migrants on the ground, join us as we connect t...
The Conversation Weekly: The Brexit roots of the UK's Rwanda asylum plan – and why other EU leaders might want to copy it
A controversial British government plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda has been central to the UK’s response to a recent sharp increase in the number of people making the dangerous journey across the English Channel in small boats. But if the Conservative party loses the general election in early July, the Rwanda plan is likely to be abandoned. In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, two experts in UK immigration policy explain how the Rwanda plan became such a crucial part of the immigration debate in the UK. And how, whatever happens in the election, it’s al...
Statelessness: No country to call home
In the Season 2 finale, host Maggie Perzyna asks her guests: What does it mean to live without a nationality? This episode of Borders & Belonging will dive into the complexities behind statelessness, its causes and social realities, and the far-reaching effects it has on individuals and communities.
Guests: Rintu Borah, PhD candidate at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay; Noora Lori, Associate Professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University; Allison Petrozziello, instructor at Balsillie School of International Affairs, Wilfrid Laurier University.
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From oil to innovation: Changing economies in the Gulf
Did you know that the Middle East holds the world's highest ratio of migrants to its national population? From historical ties to the oil economy to the burgeoning knowledge-based economies of today, host Maggie Perzyna explores how evolving economic landscapes in the Gulf are reshaping migration dynamics.
Guests: Deepak Unnikrishnan, Assistant Professor at NYU Abu Dhabi; Laure Assaf, Assistant Professor at NYU Abu Dhabi; Hélène Thiollet, Research Fellow at the French National Center for Scientific Research at Sciences Po.
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Rising tides, sinking roots: Climate change, adaptation and mobility in Pacific Island nations
Land is a critical component of Pacific Island societies, and the impact of climate change on these populations is a growing global concern. Host Maggie Perzyna, along with esteemed guest researchers and a community consultant from one of the world's lowest lying countries, seeks to understand the regional implications of climate change and the role the international community needs to play in supporting adaptation strategies.
Guests: Robert Karoro, consultant from Kiribati; Tammy Tabe, Oceana Research Fellow at East West Center in Hawai'i; John Campbell, retired Associate Professor and Research Associate at...
The Migration Podcast: "Road families" en route to the Mexico-US border
Itzel Eguiluz speaks with Alejandra Díaz de León about how the journey of Central American migrants walking north, through Mexico, is about much more than just having practical strategies to survive the journey.
Solidarity, trust and social bonds that are formed along the way, can also be valuable elements of the experience. We hear about what Alejandra calls “road families” and how during their journeys, migrants form communities around their common understanding and experiences of crossing Mexico. She details this in her book “Walking Together: Central Americans and Transit Migration through Mexico”, which was published in 2023.
Is Japan turning into a migration state?
Despite its historical reputation for social, political, and legal closure and a certain reluctance towards admitting immigrants, Japan is taking steps towards a more inclusive national immigration policy. In this episode, host Maggie Perzyna and her guests explore the evolving role of Japan as a migration state, shedding light on innovative policies and their potential to bring about transformative changes in Japanese society.
Guests: Nicholas A. R. Fraser, Senior Research Associate at CERC Migration; Nana Oishi, Associate Professor in Japanese Studies at the University of Melbourne; Ito Peng, Professor of Sociology...
The Arctic: Climate, resources and migration in times of change
While the Arctic has been home to Indigenous peoples for millennia, settlers in the past few centuries have been drawn to the region's remote wilderness, majestic landscapes and ample resources. More recently, global market forces and climate change are shaping migration to the Arctic in new and complex ways.
Guests: Malini Sengupta, coordinator at the Yellowknife Immigration Partnership; Roger Norum, Professor of Cultural Anthropology at the University of Oulu; Timothy Heleniak, Senior Research Fellow at Nordregio.
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Migration & technology: The rise of digital nomads
A small but increasing number of today's knowledge workers are breaking free from traditional offices, using technology to craft a life that blends work, travel and freedom. In this episode, host Maggie Perzyna and her guests dive deep into the changing nature of work and the rise of digital nomads. What is driving this growing phenomenon, and how are countries around the world and local communities dealing with it?
Guests: Holly Vipond, former digital nomad; Anna Triandafyllidou, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration at Toronto Metropolitan University; Dave Cook...
Brokering borders: EU bilateral agreements and the price of ‘return migration’
In the pursuit of controlling its external borders, the European Union has forged numerous bilateral agreements with African countries. These agreements are not just pieces of paper, they're instruments that wield immense influence over the movement of people between Europe and Africa. In this episode, host Maggie Perzyna seeks to understand how EU bilateral agreements are reshaping the migration dynamics on both continents.
Guests: Leander Kandilige, Senior Lecturer at the Center for Migration Studies, University of Ghana; Amanda Bisong, PhD candidate at Vrije Universiteit and policy officer with the Center for...
