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.
In Season 1, Maggie debunks some of the biggest myths about migration. We’re proud to say the work received a 2023 Silver Signal Award. In Season 2, Maggie takes listeners on a world tour, asking questions like “What fuels xenophobia in South Africa?", "Is Japan becoming a migration state?" and “How is technology changing the places where people work and the countries trying to attract them?”
In Season 3, Maggie continues her mission, this time zooming in on the key questions being asked by migration scholars. Can sanctuary cities inspire innovative approaches to migrant and refugee urban integration? How can we put the principle, “nothing about us without us” into practice? And what does it mean to decentre migration research?
For show notes and transcripts, visit: https://www.torontomu.ca/cerc-migration/borders-and-belonging/
2023 and 2024 Silver Signal Award Winner
Borders & Belonging
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 how these changes could disproportionately impact the most vulnerable.
In Conversation is a series of the Borders & Belonging podcast where leading voices dive into urgent migration issues shaping Canada and the world.
Guests: Sharry Aiken (Professor, Faculty of Law, Queen's University and former President of the Canadian Council for Refugees), Claire Ellis (PhD candidate, Toronto Metropolitan University), and Anna Triandafyllidou (Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration, Toronto Metropolitan University)
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🌎 Have a question or episode idea? Email bordersandbelonging@gmail.com.