We checked 8 migration studies journals on Friday, May 23, 2025 using the Crossref API. For the period May 16 to May 22, we retrieved 37 new paper(s) in 8 journal(s).

Comparative Migration Studies

Mapping migration capabilities worldwide
Naiara Rodríguez-Peña
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The complexity and abstract nature of capabilities may explain why research on migration aspirations is far more prevalent than studies on migration capabilities, and why clear conceptualizations and operationalizations of migration capabilities remain lacking. This article provides a first global estimation of migration capabilities, discusses challenges of measuring capabilities at the macro-level and proposes directions for future research. To achieve this, it focuses on four key forms of capital at the aggregate level: economic, social, human and citizenship capital. By integrating these dimensions, the article presents three scenarios with different distributions of migration capabilities and shows that a calculation centered on economic resources and citizenship capital best explains patterns of involuntary immobility. Furthermore, the article discusses the importance of further exploring migration capabilities for both research and policy and identifies three directions for future research. First, expanding data sources and calculations to identify regions where freedom of movement is most restricted and its implications for human development. Second, examining the capability to stay and exploring how different forms of immobility interact with local development. Finally, broadening the understanding of migration capabilities beyond formal migration barriers to uncover commonalities in emigration dynamics and immobility experiences across countries.
The age of intra-African migration: shifting patterns of regional mobility between two global diasporas, 1850–1960
Michiel de Haas, Ewout Frankema
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Rising migration out of Africa is attracting great attention among scholars, policy makers and pundits. In terms of past African mobility, forced emigration through the slave trade, with its nefarious characteristics and long-lasting legacies, has also received much publicity. But what happened to African mobility in the long century between the demise of the trans-oceanic slave trades after 1850 and the gradual resurgence of African extra-continental migration since 1960? This paper adopts the concept of the “Age of Intra-African Migration” to analyze a distinct epoch of widespread and large-scale African mobility, characterized by a succession of overlapping transitions in continent-wide migration patterns. We identify five of these transitions and explain their drivers. Overall, we show that the inward shift of African migration patterns was a consequence of intensified state formation, the demise of the transoceanic slave trades, and export-oriented commercialization. These processes were in turn shaped by trade integration, industrialization and imperialism on a global scale. As such, the Age of Intra-African Migration did not signify a retreat of Africans from global migration altogether, but rather the growing importance of migration destinations across the continent itself. We contend that the ongoing globalization of African diasporas cannot be fully understood without accounting for the dynamics of regional mobility between 1850 and 1960, and that, contrary to popular belief, Africans today are not any more mobile than they were a century ago.

Ethnic and Racial Studies

Genocide and enslavement
Scott Straus
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“I think it’s a very nasty question”: Trumpian anti-Black racism and the limits of traditional journalistic standards
Chad Rhym, Laura Garbes
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Symposium on Marcel Paret’s Fractured Militancy: Precarious Resistance in South Africa after Racial Inclusion
John Solomos
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International Migration

Assisted return programmes across Europe – Mapping an increasingly obscure landscape
Lukas M. Fuchs
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Amidst an increasing popularity of Assisted Return (AR) programmes amongst European states, on the one hand, and criticism pertaining to their voluntary and humanitarian nature, on the other hand, this paper maps AR programmes across Europe. It contains a first comprehensive overview of 45 ongoing AR programmes across 27 countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) and outlines their commonalities and specificities along five categories: (1) clarity and reliability of available information, (2) involved actors, (3) targeting, (4) offered support and (5) accountability and empirical knowledge production. The mapping finds relevant differences in programme design according to the centralization and distribution of responsibilities between state actors, IOM and NGOs. Similarly, programmes vary according to their target groups ranging from highly specific (e.g. for victims of trafficking) to those addressing virtually all non‐EU citizens. Another marked distinction concerns the labelling as either assisted return or return & reintegration programme, which may be in contrast to the amount, scope and timing of the offered support. The findings and identified knowledge gaps are discussed in relation to relevant literature to contextualize our understanding of the proliferation of AR activities and formulate recommendations for future research.
The cybernetic border: Drones, technology, and intrusion By Ivån ChaarLópez, Durham: Duke University Press. 2024. pp. 248
ÖzgĂŒn Erdener Topak
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International Migration Review

Book Review: In Search of Home KlementCamaj R.. (2025). The Migration of Albanians from Montenegro and Kosovo to the United States: In Search of Home. Oxford: Routledge. 173. $108.00.
Ezenwa E. Olumba
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Then and Now: Romanian Returnees Contemplating Future Migration
Laura MoroƟanu, Monica Șerban
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Despite the emerging consensus that return does not necessarily bring an end to mobility, returnees’ future migration aspirations have received limited attention. Our article contributes to this under-researched area by examining how return migrants view future migration, based on 97 in-depth interviews with Romanian returnees from four European countries. We focus on young, working-age returnees, who are nevertheless well settled in their work and domestic lives. Comparisons between “then” and “now” are at the heart of participants’ reflections and draw attention to two temporal dimensions that become entangled in their future mobility considerations: prior migration experience, and life-course transformations. We show how returnees’ experiences of difficult and precarious work conditions, marginalization, and social isolation abroad, place important limits on migrating again, and generate specific parameters for future mobility, in conjunction with present family commitments and life-stage norms and aspirations. Future migration is thus often conditioned on preserving family unity and “decent” work opportunities, which reflect one's skills but also protect one's economic stability and wellbeing. The findings advance understanding of return and migration aspirations more broadly. Contrary to common assumptions, they show that prior migration experience does not simply facilitate but can also temper and recalibrate future migration aspirations, in conjunction with life-stage considerations. The findings additionally enrich the understanding of intra-European mobility dynamics, bringing in returnees’ perspectives, and revealing important temporal limits to European free mobility.
Book Review: Sin Padres, Ni Papeles CanizalesStephanie L.2024. Sin Padres, Ni Papeles: Unaccompanied Migrant Youth Coming of Age in the United States. Oakland: University of California Press. 338. $29.95.
Emma Lezberg, Ben Blanco
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Are Visa-Based Dispersal Policies Effective in Attracting and Retaining Skilled Migrants in Rural Australia?
Dagamra Laukova, Aude Bernard, Tomasz Zając, Anthony Kimpton, Neil Argent, Thomas Sigler
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Australia offers regional visa schemes for skilled migrants who reside in nonmetropolitan Australia for a minimum of 2 years to alleviate nonmetropolitan depopulation and skills shortages. To assess the efficacy of this program in attracting and retaining migrants, we apply survival analysis to administrative longitudinal microdata from the Person Level Integrated Data Asset linked to census data from 2010 to 2020. We find that this program attracts few new migrants to regional Australia given that over 80% of regional visa holders applied onshore. Furthermore, close to 65% were already in a nonmetropolitan region for an average of 2 years while the remainder took on average 7 months to relocate to a nonmetropolitan area from overseas or from within Australia. While nonmetropolitan retention is high — 70% after 10 years — it is significantly lower in remote and very remote regions, and it is lower than the Australian population at large, suggesting limited policy efficacy in retaining rural populations in the long term. We also identify a negative selection, with migrants with low English proficiency being more likely to remain in nonmetropolitan regions, which suggests a possible segmentation of nonmetropolitan labor markets where migrants are concentrated in low-wage sectors. Two policy levers emerge to improve retention: (1) targeting co-ethnic communities and (2) focusing on young families with children. The mixed results from this policy evaluation highlight the difficulties of stimulating nonmetropolitan population growth via immigration.
The Longitudinal Relationship Between Acculturation and Alcohol Use Among Immigrant Adolescents in Europe
Krzysztof Czaderny
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This study examines the relationship between alcohol use among immigrant adolescents living in Europe and their sense of national belonging as well as the ethnic composition of their friendship networks, contributing to the broader discussion on the healthy immigrant effect. To date, the majority of longitudinal studies examining the relationship between acculturation and alcohol use have been conducted in the United States. This study employs a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model, analyzing data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Survey in Four European Countries . The sample includes 5,235 adolescents with an immigrant background living in England, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The findings of this study indicate that identification as a foreigner was negatively related to alcohol use over time, whereas identification with the host country was positively associated with alcohol use longitudinally. In line with the immigrant acculturation hypothesis, the proportion of friends from the ethnic background of the host country was longitudinally positively associated with alcohol use. A similar pattern of relationships was observed for alcohol misuse. As demonstrated in the two-part analysis, identification as a foreigner, identification with the host country, and ethnic composition of friendship networks were primarily associated with the initiation of alcohol use rather than the frequency of alcohol use among immigrant adolescents. In conclusion, the promotion of selective acculturation among this group is recommended, especially in view of the increased health risks associated with alcohol use due to immigrants’ lower propensity to utilize preventive healthcare.
The Education Abroad and Income Paradox: A Research Note
Wei Liu
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Youths of a country seem to be less interested in going abroad when the per capita GDP of the country reaches a certain level. This education abroad and income paradox is supported by data from a number of countries/regions whose education abroad numbers have peaked. A rough value of $30,000 US in per capita income in purchasing power parity terms seems to be the threshold for a country's interests in education abroad to decline. If confirmed, this per capita GDP threshold can be used as a numerical tool to forecast the future supply of international students in different source countries.
The Power of Participation and the Co-Production of Knowledge in Migration Research: A Critical Reflection on Methods
Megan Denise Smith, Liana Wool
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The rapidly growing field of “Migration Studies” is still grappling with various conceptual and methodological challenges. Pervasive across these are how best to conduct research “with” rather than “on” migrants as its primary object of study. Though it is frequently emphasized that alternative framings in knowledge production based on the lived experiences of migrants are vital in migration research, many scholars highlight how their voices continue to remain at the margins. If such perspectives continue to be sidelined, while maintaining that they are essential for necessary changes to how migration research is conducted, then researchers need to reflect on how they can operationalize methodologies that enable more meaningful engagement with migrants in practice. Drawing on a decade of experience working directly with and alongside migrants in diverse settings, this paper reflects on the convergence of academia and practice. We emphasize that a participatory approach, when holistically applied in conducting empirical research with migrants, can better enable researchers to transcend many common challenges, provide a space for knowledge co-production, and often result in more ethical and quality research overall. The most crucial aspect for researchers to consider is how the participatory approach is both conceptualized and subsequently applied in practice. Participatory research does not necessarily need to be considered as a novel or standalone method as such but as a way to approach research that can underpin or be embedded into a multitude of migration research projects and designs, often complementing other methodologies.
Book Review: ID Wars in CÎte d'Ivoire BanégasRichardArmandoCutolo. 2024. ID Wars in CÎte d'Ivoire: A Political Ethnography of Identification and Citizenship. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 368 pp., $140.
Giulia Piccolino
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Unpacking Refuge: Caste and Labour in Partition-Induced Forced Migration in Asansol, West Bengal
Ekata Bakshi
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The Partition of British India (1947) marks a crucial chapter in South Asian history. Scholarship, particularly from West Bengal, India, reveals that dominant narratives have largely ignored caste-based differences in the experiences of displacement and rehabilitation, creating homogenized national memories. Official narratives often portrayed Partition as a necessary cost of independence, with refugees being blamed for their own plight. In response, upper(ed)-caste male refugees constructed a counter-narrative of victimhood and struggle, asserting their rights to citizenship. This narrative, coupled with rising communist influence, positioned refugees as the new proletariat in Leftist politics, erasing distinctions of caste, class, and gender. State policies on refugee rehabilitation, however, were often caste-blind or actively discriminatory, further marginalizing lowered-caste refugees. This paper explores these dynamics through an ethnographic study in Asansol, West Bengal. The lowered-caste migrants, relocated to Asansol to serve as cheap labour for industrial development, faced ongoing hardship, exacerbated by industrial closures and labour informalization. Women from these families, excluded from formal labour, were forced into devalued, caste-based work, a pattern that has persisted across generations. The structures of caste, then, have rendered lowered-caste refugee families as marginalized ‘quasi-citizens.’ Unlike upper(ed)-caste refugees, they have struggled to overcome the consequences of Partition and become integrated as ‘successful’ citizens; in a context where the degree of citizenship has been increasingly defined as being inversely proportional to one's economic dependence on the government and directly proportional to one's performance of ‘caste-moral respectability’. But, in a teleological fashion, their insufficient capacity to display adequate citizenship has only reinforced their de-valuation as labourers.

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies

A multi-level mixed-methods research design in studying localised experiences of asylum seekers: challenges and lessons learned
Antoine Roblain, Alessandro Mazzola, Emanuele Politi
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Constructing difference in postsocialist Britain: the role of historical memory in media narratives of German and Polish migrants
Charlotte Galpin, Maren Rohe
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Digital by default: the literacies, legibilities and legacies of the UK’s post-Brexit EU settled status regime
Kathy Burrell, Anna Key, Kate Botterill
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Behind the scenes: a (self) critical reflection on doing mixed methods
Samira Azabar, Peter Thijssen
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Transformation in the use of mixed methods for migration-related research
Cesar Eduardo MerlĂ­n-Escorza
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Emotion work and the children of the Chilean exile, 50 years on
VerĂłnica DĂ­az Cerda
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Explaining re-migration preferences among assisted returnees: evidence from Discrete Choice Experiments in Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia
Jasper Tjaden, Ulf Liebe, Davide Bruscoli
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Gatekeepers or agents of change? The political agency of lawyers in the Dutch family migration regime
Saskia Bonjour
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The why (not) and how (not) of survey to digital footprint linkages: a use-case of ethnic background and social relationships
Bas Hofstra
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Feeding migrants to cultivate a moral self: an analysis of food relief in U.S. and Mexican migration control
Amalia Campos-Delgado, Irene I. Vega
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Ethical loneliness and the undermining of social capital: how racism shapes loneliness in three UK Asian communities – a mixed methods study
Mengxing Joshi, Nissa Finney, Jo Mhairi Hale
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Two peas in a pod? How to mix methods in ethnic and migration studies
Nella Geurts, Tine Davids, Niels Spierings
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Mixed methods, mixed feelings: a review of hurdles faced and vaulting poles to apply when wanting to do and publish mixed methods research
Niels Spierings, Nella Geurts
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Teamwork as the key to mixing methods: lessons from multi-sited research designs
Valentina Mazzucato
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Persistent boundaries. Partnership patterns among children of immigrants and natives in Sweden
Carina Mood, Jan O. Jonsson
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Mixing creative and qualitative methods: an appreciative inquiry into responsible knowledge production for engaged scholars
Tine Davids, Marieke van Houte, Maybritt Jill Alpes
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Journal of Race Ethnicity and Politics

Federal Enforcement and Black Political Representation: Evidence from Reconstruction and the Voting Rights Act
Michael Greenberger, Jasmine Carrera Smith
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In this paper, we demonstrate that the federal enforcement of the 15th Amendment is necessary for Black representation in the U.S. South. Using novel data on Black officeholders in the South from 1866 to 1912 and from 1969 to 1993, we examine Black representation during Reconstruction and after the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. In both political periods, we find that policies aimed to enforce the 15th Amendment and active Black political participation are necessary preconditions for Black officeholding. This paper helps contextualize scholarship on descriptive representation by identifying this critical link between democracy and representation in the American South. By analyzing broad periods of history, we demonstrate the enduring necessity of active policymaking to ensure fair elections as a precondition of democracy in the American South. Our findings carry significant consequences for understanding the health of American democracy in the twenty-first century.
Racialized Empathy and Attitudes Toward Refugees in the United States
Hannah L. Paul, Courtney J. Nava
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In the United States, the public does not view all refugee groups with equal favorability. Why do individuals express more support for some refugee groups compared to others? We argue that some Americans are more supportive of certain refugee groups when they share a racial identity because it is easier for them to empathize with them. While recent research points to empathy as a useful tool for cultivating supportive attitudes toward refugees and immigrants, the political science literature lacks a nuanced understanding of the conditions under which empathy drives pro-social attitudes toward refugees, specifically with regard to racial dynamics. Does empathy allow people to overcome their racial ingroup preferences, or does it magnify them? With an original web experiment administered to a 50/50 Black and white sample of Americans, we prime half of the sample to associate refugees with their racial ingroup and prime the other half with their racial outgroup. We find that refugee race only affects support for refugees among white individuals with low group empathy. For high-empathy whites and Blacks of all levels of empathy, the race linked to refugees does not condition their support for refugees. Rather, group empathy is a strong, independent explanation for variation in attitudes toward refugees. We also find modest evidence that the positive association between empathy for refugees and support for this group is driven by partisanship, particularly for whites. The direct effect of partisanship on support for refugees is much stronger. This study contributes to research on the dynamics of race, empathy, and attitudes toward refugees.

Journal of Refugee Studies

Correction to: Empire of refugees: North Caucasian Muslims and the Late Ottoman State. By Vladimir Hamed-Troyansky
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Correction to: Editors’ introduction—older refugees: Who are they and how are they faring?
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Population Space and Place

Generic title: Not a research article
Issue Information
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No abstract is available for this article.
Which Types of Public Services Matter? The Impact of Access to Public Services on the Urban Settlement Intention of Migrants in China
Ziming Liu, Yuan Zheng, Bintong Yu, Zhigang Wang
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This study examined which migrants accessed four types of urban public services including housing support, medical insurance, health records, and residence permits, and investigated the relative impacts of such accessibility of public services on the urban settlement intention of migrants. Using the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) data in 2017, our results show that migrants have selective access to public services in urban China. That is, migrants with a higher socioeconomic status (in their prime working years, with higher household income and educational attainments) are more likely to access urban public services. Then we find that such multiple public services all have positive but different effects on migrants' settlement intention, after eliminating bias due to the selective accessibility of migrants by propensity score matching analysis. The magnitude of the estimated effects of housing support and medical insurance is considerably higher than residence permits and health records.