Oxford Migration Studies Centre

Oxford Migration Studies Centre
Name	Oxford Migration Studies Centre
Formation	2008
Type	Research centre
Headquarters	Oxford, England
Parent organization	University of Oxford
Leader title	Director

Oxford Migration Studies Centre is a research institute based within the University of Oxford that focuses on international migration, diaspora, human mobility, asylum, and refugee issues. The Centre engages in empirical study, policy analysis, and interdisciplinary teaching, and interfaces with national and international institutions, humanitarian agencies, and academic networks. It produces peer-reviewed scholarship, policy briefings, and training aimed at informing debates at the United Nations, European Union, and national capitals.

History

Founded in 2008, the Centre emerged amid scholarly and policy debates following events such as the 2004 enlargement of the European Union, the 2005 Hurricane Katrina humanitarian response, and the 2015 European migrant crisis. Early leadership included academics with links to St Antony's College, Oxford, All Souls College, Oxford, and the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford, building on prior work at the Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford and collaborations with the International Organization for Migration and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Over time the Centre expanded its remit through partnerships with the Department of International Development (UK), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and research consortia funded after high-profile events such as the Syrian civil war and the Libya crisis (2011–present). Directors and fellows have had ties to scholars associated with the Blavatnik School of Government, the Oxford Internet Institute, and the Faculty of Law, University of Oxford.

Research and Publications

The Centre produces books, journal articles, policy reports, and datasets addressing topics such as irregular migration, migrant integration, remittances, border enforcement, human trafficking, and diasporic politics. Publications are often co-authored with researchers from Harvard University, London School of Economics, Sciences Po, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, and the Australian National University. Major outputs include comparative analyses informed by cases like Afghanistan, Syria, Venezuela, South Sudan, and Honduras, and thematic studies referencing instruments such as the 1951 Refugee Convention, the Dublin Regulation, and the Global Compact for Migration. Research has appeared in journals including International Migration Review, Journal of Refugee Studies, Migration Studies (journal), Global Policy, and books published by Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press.

Academic Programs and Teaching

The Centre contributes to graduate and postgraduate teaching across the University of Oxford, including seminars connected to Nuffield College, Oxford, the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, and the School of Geography and the Environment. It supervises doctoral candidates whose dissertations examine cases such as Somalia, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, and Mexico. Coursework often integrates methods and theory from scholars affiliated with Centre for the Study of African Economies, Department of Sociology, University of Oxford, and the Comparative Social Policy Programme. The Centre also runs executive education modules for officials from institutions like the European Commission, the United Nations, and national ministries involved in asylum adjudication and migration policy.

Policy Engagement and Impact

The Centre routinely briefs policymakers, contributes expert testimony to parliamentary committees including the House of Commons, and provides evidence to international bodies such as the United Nations General Assembly and the European Parliament. It has engaged in consultancy with organizations including UNHCR, IOM, World Bank, and nongovernmental organizations like Refugee Council (UK), Médecins Sans Frontières, and Save the Children. Its policy-relevant work frequently addresses crises tied to Iraq, Libya, Myanmar, and the Central African Republic, and informs debates on instruments including the Common European Asylum System and bilateral readmission agreements negotiated by states such as Germany, France, and Italy.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The Centre maintains formal and informal links with colleges and institutes across Oxford and with international partners including Brown University, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Cape Town, and Peking University. It participates in multi-institutional consortia funded by bodies such as the European Research Council, the Economic and Social Research Council, and foundations including the Ford Foundation and the Open Society Foundations. Collaborative projects have involved agencies like International Labour Organization and think tanks such as Chatham House, Migration Policy Institute, and RAND Corporation.

Funding and Governance

Funding streams include competitive grants from national research councils, philanthropic foundations, and commissioned work from supranational institutions. Governance arrangements align with University of Oxford oversight structures and involve advisory input from academics associated with Magdalen College, Oxford, Keble College, Oxford, and external experts from institutions such as the Brookings Institution and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Financial support has been provided through targeted awards tied to crises, evaluations for entities like the European Commission and the United Nations Development Programme, and fellowships funded by donors like the Leverhulme Trust.

Facilities and Location

Based in Oxford, England, the Centre is housed within university facilities proximate to landmarks such as the Bodleian Library and colleges including Wadham College, Oxford and Exeter College, Oxford. It hosts seminars and conferences attracting participants from international organizations such as UNICEF, academic delegations from University of Toronto, and policy teams from national ministries including Home Office (UK). The Centre maintains digital repositories and research infrastructure compatible with standards used by archives like the British Library.

Category:Research institutes in the United Kingdom Category:Migration studies