Migration

Topic description and stories

Immigration and migration, and the issues that surround them, have become symbolic of the 21st century.

Detail from the cover image of “The English and Their History”.

Stability, unity and nonchalance: What does it mean to be English?

06 Nov 2014

An epic new history of England offers some eye-catching conclusions on Englishness – suggesting, among other things, that a “remarkable” level of...

Chinese migrant workers in Japan: behind the headlines

26 Aug 2014

Chinese migrant workers in Japan are more than passive victims of difficult work conditions and are able to use their own networks and provide mutual...

Home from home: minor moves make major differences

26 Feb 2014

Most of the moves we make are within 5 km of our previous addresses, yet these short migrations are highly significant within individual lives. New...

German migrants boarding a steamer in Hamburg, Germany, to travel to America, Credit: Harper's Weekly (New York), November 7, 1874 (Library of Congress)

Soul seller: the man who moved people

20 Feb 2014

People trafficking is a billion-dollar business with a history that spans centuries. A new study identifies the beginnings of the modern trafficker...

‘Intelligent Trust’, ethno-religious relations and the rise of the food bank

14 Feb 2014

Shana Cohen and Ed Kessler discuss how individuals of different ethno-religious backgrounds in Europe can learn to trust each other, and how...

Out of Asia: ancient genome lays to rest origins of Americas’ first humans

12 Feb 2014

The genome of a child who died some 12,600 years ago in Montana – the oldest known human remains from North America – has been sequenced for the...

Jewish refugees from Russia in Liverpool, 1882

Migration: Britain’s hospitable past

10 Feb 2014

In the midst of current controversies over immigration law and policy, Professor Alison Bashford discusses why it's important to recall Britain’s...

Caption: A group of Sri Lankan refugees arrives in Tamil Nadu after a risky 30-mile boat ride across the Palk Straits

Unsafe havens? Health risks for refugees

05 Feb 2014

A new study is looking at a century of mass migrations worldwide to understand the public health consequences when people are forced to flee from war...