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, a researcher with the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration program at Toronto Metropolitan University, explores the complexity of migration with the help of leading academics and professionals working with migrants on the ground.
Season 4 of Borders & Belonging explores reflexivity: the practice of turning research back on itself to examine how we know what we know.
This season 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. Join us as we trace the threads connecting scholarship across time, experience, and perspective.
For show notes and transcripts, visit: https://www.torontomu.ca/cerc-migration/borders-and-belonging/
Signal Award wins in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Episodes
52 episodes
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 Palum...
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 t...
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 ca...
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 ...
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 h...
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 postco...
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. Sh...
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 “illegali...
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...
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. ...
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 near...
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 obj...
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 ...
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...
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 introdu...
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 explo...
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 pe...
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 settl...
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 impac...
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, intraregiona...
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 U...
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 econo...
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 disinformatio...
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 issu...
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-base...
