Globalisation has dramatically increased the scope for migrants in the global North and South to foster links with origin societies.

Globalisation has enabled migrants to travel back and forth, to relate to people, to work and to do business simultaneously in distant places. This increasingly transnational character of migrants’ lives has profoundly challenged classical models of immigrant integration.

Our research focuses on the role of migrant and diaspora organisations in the development of origin countries; the evolution of transnational migrant organisations; and the impact of diasporas in shaping identities, clashing with other diasporic and local identities and connecting home and host societies.

Ongoing activities

Emigration States in the Global Governance of Migration (2010-2011)

Migration policy is often mistakenly equated with immigration policies of migrant-receiving countries – so this project focuses on the relatively overlooked emigration policies of migrant-sending countries. It asks how states relate to ‘their’ diasporas? Why do they do so in particular ways? And how should they do so better? Read more about the Emigration States project...

Oxford Leverhulme Diasporas Programme (2011-2015)

The preliminary stages of this five-year 12-project programme have already commenced. Linking six departments and units across the University, IMI will lead a multi-sited set of studies looking at how diasporas ‘connect’, ‘contest’ and ‘converge’ and how they impact on home and host societies. Read more about the Oxford Leverhulme Diasporas Programme...

Transnational Migrant Organisations (TRAMO) (2007–2010)

This four-country research project explores the links between migrant organisations and their countries of origin. To guide its activities, we have developed an analytical framework addressing both transnational organisations and the border-crossing contexts in which they exist. Read more about the TRAMO project...