Migration, Globalization, and Human Mobility

The CERI is an academic home to a group of internationally recognized scholars researching questions of  migration, human mobility, and “migration diplomacy.” Their work is marked by a resolutely interdisciplinary academic approach, coupled with a strong commitment to sharing knowledge. It is commonly felt that human mobility lies at the heart of globalization. Yet, what are the underlying driving factors? Why do migration policies vary so widely from one country to another, oscillating between openness and rejection? How are migration routes being reshaped in a world where South–South flows have now overtaken South–North movements?

These structural questions are central to the collective research of the  CERI’s Migration team, and we are pleased to share a recent selection of their contributions.

While they are grounded in rigorous fieldwork respecting scholarly norms, our research programs on migration also seek to inform public debate. This forms part of our broader commitment to open science, a core principle that guides CERI’s scholarly practices.

We invite you to mark May 15th on your calendar. On that occasion, we will celebrate 30 years of migration research at CERI with a program on the changing landscapes of migration. 

“Migrations reflect global inequalities in development, but they also help temper the world’s major fault lines,” writes Catherine Wihtol de Wenden in the new edition of The Atlas of Migration: Building New Solidarities (Autrement, 2025), published to mark the twentieth anniversary of this seminal study.

Sincerely, 

Stéphanie Balme,
Director