The political economy of migration

This international conference brings together leading scholars and experts to examine migration through the interconnected lenses of political economy, demography, history, and international relations. Over the course of two days, the program explores how population dynamics, historical transformations, capitalist development, institutional dynamics, and global inequalities have shaped migration systems across regions and historical periods. Particular attention is given to the relationship between migration, demographic change, labor markets, remittances, and uneven development, as well as to the ways diasporas contribute to transnational social, economic, and political formations.

Panels address a broad range of themes, including migration and globalization since 1400, the political economy of development, population aging, labor mobility, remittance economies, irregular migration, and the political economy of borders and migration control. Additional discussions examine citizenship, integration, inequality, and social stratification, highlighting how migration both reflects and reshapes contemporary forms of geopolitics, capitalism, state formation, and global interdependence. The conference also considers the growing importance of border regimes, migration governance, and security infrastructures in structuring mobility and producing differentiated forms of inclusion and exclusion.

Bringing together perspectives on Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, South Asia, and the United States, the conference emphasizes both shared structural dynamics and region-specific trajectories. By combining rigorous academic research with policy-relevant dialogue, the event seeks to advance understanding of migration as a central dimension of global demographic transformation, economic restructuring, and political change. It provides a platform for meaningful exchange among scholars and practitioners, contributing to more informed, historically grounded, and equitable approaches to migration politics worldwide.

• James Hollifield, Southern Methodist University
• Hélène Thiollet, French National Centre for Scientific Research

• Leo Lucassen, Universiteit Leiden, Spanning the Globe, Migration and Globalization Since 1400
• Hélène Thiollet, French National Centre for Scientific Research, Migration Rent and the Moral Economy of Inequality

• Ahmed Tritah, Université de Poitiers, Trust, Institutions, and the Brain Drain: A Political Economy Framework with Evidence from Arab Countries
• Rina Agarwala, John Hopkins University, Understanding India’s Migration-Development Regime (MDR) under Democratic Decline and Rising Insecurity
• Silvia Giorguli, Colegio de Mexico (COLMEX), Prevalent and emerging inequalities in intra-regional migration in Latin America. Migrant incorporation to the labor market in South-to-South
  

• Jack Goldstone, George Mason University, The Paradox of Aging and Immigration: The more we need immigrants, the more we seek to stop them
• Raymond Robertson, Texas A&M University, Unequal Journeys: Composition and Determinants of Global Migration
  

• Pia Orrenius, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas & Madeline Zavodny, University of North Florida, Unauthorized Immigration and Immigration Enforcement in the United States
• David Hausman, UC Berkeley
  

• Yajna Govind, Copenhagen Business School, The Political Economy of Citizenship: How Naturalization Policies Shape Integration Outcomes
• Pieter Bievelander, Malmö University and James Hollifield, Southern Methodist University, The Economics of Refugee Labour Market inclusion
  

• Sandra Lavenez, Université de Genève, Multilateralism, Regional Integration, and the Political Economy of Migration
• Fiona Adamson, University of London
  

Responsable scientifique : Helene thiollet (CERI Sciences Po/CNRS)

Co-organisateur : James Hollifield (SMU Southern Methodist University)

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Sciences Po CERI