Development Matters- Why is migration still a hot topic, and what is the role of research?

More than 1 billion people are estimated to be migrants, living either inside or outside their country of birth. Since an influx of Syrian refugees arrived in Europe in 2015, the question of dealing with migrants and asylum seekers has dominated Western headlines. Although net migration in Europe has declined, anti-migration rhetoric persists and has provoked political instability in countries such as Germany and Spain. What’s more, US President, Donald Trump, has drawn ire for his ‘zero tolerance’ policy towards irregular immigration. This podcast explores why migration remains such a hot-button issue, and the work of the London International Development Centre Migration Leadership Team (MLT), which has been formed by the UK Economic and Social Research Council and Arts and Humanities Research Council. The speakers are Professor Kavita Datta, Professor of Development Geography at Queen Mary University of London and co-Investigator on the MLT, and Jenny Allsopp, Postdoctoral Fellow on the MLT.