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Migration Diplomacy in International Politics

MIGDIPLO investigates how states across the Global South and beyond use cross-border mobility as an instrument of foreign policy.

Originally awarded a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant and now funded in the United Kingdom through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the Horizon Europe guarantee (grant reference EP/X019667/2, 2022–28), MIGDIPLO examines how states deploy cross-border mobility as a tool of foreign policy, with attention to practices of coercion, cooperation, and issue-linkage.

It draws on comparative case studies, archival research, and interviews to trace how migration diplomacy shapes inter-state bargaining, refugee governance, and transnational power relations.

Its cases extend well beyond Europe and the Middle East, to South and South-East Asia and the Gulf. Now in its later stages, the project has generated a substantial body of work, including peer-reviewed articles in leading international relations and migration journals, edited collections, policy engagement, and a programme of workshops and public lectures.

It contributes both to scholarly debates on migration and international politics and to policy discussion on the governance of global mobility.

Research objectives

  • Develop a typology of migration diplomacy as a mode of inter-state interaction.
  • Analyse how states instrumentalise refugee and migrant populations in foreign policy.
  • Investigate the diffusion of migration diplomacy practices beyond Europe and the Middle East.
  • Assess implications for international cooperation, crisis management, and global governance.

Outputs and impact

To demonstrate the project's productivity, we feature a selection of recent high-impact publications and policy interventions.

Selected Journal Articles

Edited collections

  • Tsourapas, G. & Fernández-Molina, I.(eds.) (in preparation). Migration Power Europe — an edited volume developed through the "Migration Power Europe" programme at the European University Institute.
  • Lynch, M. & Tsourapas, G. (eds.) (2024). The Politics of Migration and Refugee Rentierism in the Middle East. POMEPS Studies, Vol. 50. Project on Middle East Political Science, George Washington University.

Book chapters

  • Tsourapas, G. (forthcoming). "Migration Diplomacy: Mapping the Field and Expanding its Frontiers." In E. Sánchez-Montijano (ed.), Geopolitics of Migration: Global Interests and Challenges. Abingdon: Routledge.

Policy and public engagement

Selected media coverage

Partner organisations and sponsors

Funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the Horizon Europe Guarantee, grant reference EP/X019667/2. Originally awarded by the European Research Council (ERC) as a Starting Grant, and transferred to the University of Birmingham in 2025.

Host institution: University of Birmingham (School of Government / POLSIS).

Official record: Migration Diplomacy in International Politics

Events and Engagement

The project PI regularly engages with policymakers and academic audiences globally. Recent highlights include:

Keynote & Invited Lectures (Selected)

  • OSCE (Vienna, 2024): ‘The Significance of Migration Diplomacy in the Context of the OSCE’.
  • Harvard University/Wilson Center (2023): ‘Decolonizing the Study of Forced Migration’.
  • LSE (London, 2024): ‘Migration Diplomacy and Electoral Politics in Greek-Turkish Relations’.
  • Tufts University (Boston, 2023): ‘Migration Diplomacy as a Three-Level Game’.
  • Scottish Hellenic Society (2024): The Karkalas Lecture on Greek-Turkish Relations.

Conference Organisation

  • University of Glasgow (2023): ‘The Politics of Migration and Refugee Rentierism in the Middle East’ (Co-organised with POMEPS).
  • University of Glasgow (2023): ‘Researching Forced Migration in the Middle East’ (Co-organised with CBRL).

Principal Investigator & Global Networks

University of Birmingham Lead Professor Gerasimos Tsourapas 125th Anniversary Chair and Professor of International Relations

Associated Research Grants

  • Carnegie Corporation of New York (2024–27): Securitisation Without Security: How Migration is Shaping the Global Order (Co-PI).
  • Horizon Europe (2022–25): GAPS: De-Centring the Study of Migrant Returns and Readmission Policies in Europe and Beyond (Co-PI).

Visiting Fellowships & Affiliations

  • Tufts University: Senior Fellow, Henry J. Leir Institute (2025–)
  • The American University in Cairo: Distinguished University Scholar (2024–25)
  • LSE: Visiting Professor, Hellenic Observatory (2023–24)
  • ELIAMEP: Non-Resident Senior Research Fellow (Athens)

University of Birmingham lead

  • Professor Gerasimos Tsourapas

    125th Anniversary Chair and Professor of International Relations

    Professors Tsourapas's research explores the intersections of migration, international relations, and global governance.