States and Migration: The Human Movement Podcast

Italian immigration policy shapes the lives of migrant women working in care and domestic sectors. In this episode, Elena Bonetti, former Italian Minister for Equal Opportunities and the Family, discusses family reunification, regularisation of migrants, and the challenges facing immigrant families in Italy. Get the enhanced episode transcript here 👉🏻 https://www.emmanuel-comte.eu/product/enhanc...

Cyprus migrant workers in agriculture sustain the island's farming sector amid chronic labour shortages. Christos Papapetrou, leader of the Pancyprian Farmers Union, shares insights on informal labour, work permits, and the future of rural Cyprus. Get the enhanced episode transcript here 👉🏻 https://www.emmanuel-comte.eu/product/enhanced-transcript-30/. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nr56bhbK...

Italy's migration diplomacy plays a crucial role in managing Mediterranean migration flows. Maurizio Canfora provides an inside look at Italian foreign policy, cooperation with Tunisia and Libya, and EU border management strategies. Get the enhanced episode transcript here 👉🏻 www.emmanuel-comte.eu/product/enhanced-transcript-29/. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/i-gC1VmEHnk In this interview,...

Balkan route migration has shaped European asylum policy for decades. Donatella Bradic draws on thirty years with the International Organization for Migration to explain smuggling networks, EU border control, and the Western Balkans transit corridor. Get the enhanced episode transcript here 👉🏻 www.emmanuel-comte.eu/product/enhanced-transcript-28/. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qn0lnl3jf6o I...

Athens’ migration policy transformed the Greek capital during the refugee crisis. Former Mayor Giorgos Kaminis shares how cities manage migration, integrate refugees, and navigate tensions between local and national governance. Get the enhanced episode transcript here 👉🏻 https://www.emmanuel-comte.eu/product/enhanced-transcript-27/. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/caImWW1kTiA In this intervie...

Greek agriculture migrant labour keeps the country's farms running despite legal grey zones. Christos Giannakakis discusses immigrant workers, agricultural cooperatives, and the structural dependence on seasonal and undocumented labour. Get the enhanced episode transcript here 👉🏻 https://www.emmanuel-comte.eu/product/enhanced-transcript-26/. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mKCVZFNdfak In this...

IOM Greece plays a central role in migration governance and refugee assistance. This episode explores the International Organization for Migration's operations, voluntary return programmes, and coordination with Greek authorities. Get the enhanced episode transcript here 👉🏻 https://www.emmanuel-comte.eu/product/enhanced-transcript-25/. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IeYQ_OZucn8 In this episo...

AI hiring platforms are transforming how companies recruit across borders. Casey Marquette, founder of Scout, explains how artificial intelligence screens candidates 160 times faster than humans, operates in 32 languages, and connects employers with global talent they would never have found through traditional recruitment. Get the enhanced episode transcript here 👉🏻 https://www.emmanuel-comte.eu...

When migration collides with geopolitics, Europe finds itself at the centre of global turbulence. In this episode, Emmanuel Comte speaks with European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas to explore how the EU has confronted major migration crises—from the war in Syria and the displacement from Ukraine to high-stakes tensions with Belarus and Turkey. Offering exclusive insights from inside...

Cyprus migration governance in a divided city presents unique challenges at EU borders. Former Interior Minister and first female Mayor of Nicosia Eleni Mavrou shares insights into asylum seekers, undeclared labour, housing crises, and religious tensions in the buffer zone city. This episode examines EU-Cyprus migration policy, the Green Line's role, and why Cyprus's exclusion from Schengen compli...

Cyprus migration crisis reached breaking point in 2024 with surging irregular sea arrivals. Former Interior Minister Nicos Nouris provides a firsthand account of managing migration through the Green Line, confronting criminal smuggling networks, and navigating EU relations. This revealing conversation explores Turkey's alleged settlement strategies, cross-border trafficking, and why 95% of irregul...

German hegemony in European integration takes centre stage in this book presentation of Discussing Pax Germanica. Dr Emmanuel Comte explains how Germany's historical legacies shaped the EU's approach to mobility and sovereignty. This episode also features insights from Caroline de Gruyter's chapter drawing parallels between the Habsburg Empire and today's EU, and reflections on European security i...

Professor Randall Hansen, author of War, Work, and Want (OUP, 2023), explores the 2024 UK riots through a historical lens—from Notting Hill 1958 to National Front marches. This episode explores the roots of anti-immigrant sentiments and discusses whether Britain has a unique approach to immigration. Using examples from the past, they also delve into the question of racism—whether it is a cause of...

French elections 2024 revealed deep political fragmentation across the country. Political scientist Julien Navarro analyses President Macron's decision to call snap elections after the National Rally's European Parliament victory, the dynamics between La France Insoumise and the far right, and what polarisation means for governance. This episode examines whether France faces a political crisis and...

The Roma in Europe face marginalisation despite holding EU citizenship. Dr Julija Sardelic explores how state policies produce statelessness, labour market exclusion, and educational segregation. This episode examines Roma experiences with EU free movement, expulsions from France, and the limits of citizenship in liberal democracies. Get the enhanced episode transcript 👉🏻 https://www.emmanuel-co...

EU migration law balances free movement for EU citizens with controls on third-country nationals. Professor Daniel Thym, author of European Migration Law (Oxford University Press, 2023), explains how Germany shaped free movement, why Schengen required external border cooperation, and how bifurcation creates vastly different experiences for EU citizens and third-country nationals. Get the enhanced...

The Greek diaspora in Australia transformed the country's multicultural policies and political landscape. Dr Alexandra Dellios from the Australian National University explores how post-WWII Greek migrants challenged assimilation expectations, built political influence through the ethnic vote, and transformed Australian identity from Anglo-Celtic dominance to multiculturalism. Get the enhanced epis...

Free movement in Europe faces high pressures from nationalism and welfare state concerns. Matthew Lesh from the Institute of Economic Affairs discusses the moral philosophy of open borders, Germany's role in creating EU free movement, the Dano case and social benefits, and why Brexit challenged the European project. A deep dive into immigration economics and the future of mobility. Get the enhance...

European migration policy through twelve episodes—what have we learned? A comprehensive recap with veteran journalist Francis Ghilès reviews key insights on Turkey, Germany, France, and the UK; explores migration control from Hitler to Ukraine; and examines the immigration challenge including irregular migrants, terrorism debates, and whether states can actually regulate migration. Get the enhance...

Migration regulation by states often fails despite extensive efforts—but why? Professor Anna Triandafyllidou, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration at Toronto Metropolitan University, examines why state intervention in migration affairs produces limited results. This episode explores nationalism, sovereignty, the asylum-economic migrant distinction, Greece's transformation...

German emigration to America shaped Hitler’s geopolitical thinking in unexpected ways. Professor Brendan Simms, author of Hitler: Only the World Was Enough (Penguin, 2019), explains how Hitler's fixation on emigration led to his pursuit of Lebensraum in Eastern Europe. This episode traces German emigration from the 19th century, Hitler's encounter with German-American soldiers in WWI, and why his...

In this episode, we delve into the world of irregular migrants in Europe, accompanied by Maurizio Ambrosini, a distinguished expert and Professor of Sociology of Migration at the University of Milan. Our conversation unfolds, addressing the present state of irregular migration, the economic livelihood and living conditions of immigrants, as well as the roles played by immigration policies and rese...

In this episode, we are joined by Professor Heaven Crawley, a leading expert on international migration and refugee issues. We uncover the driving forces and routes of migration to Europe, shedding light on the motivations behind these movements – from conflict and persecution to poverty. As we delve into the challenges and risks migrants endure, we also discuss the public's demand for information...

In this episode, host Dr Emmanuel Comte speaks with Prof. Ivan Katchanovski, a political scientist and expert on conflicts in Ukraine. They discuss the largest movement of population in Europe since the aftermath of World War II: the refugees in the Ukraine War. More than 8 million refugees from Ukraine have been recorded across Europe, and millions have been displaced within the country. The conv...

Dr Emmanuel Comte welcomes Lucila Rodriguez-Alarcón, the director and co-founder of Por Causa, a Madrid-based organization that works to improve the narrative on immigration in Europe and America. They discuss Por Causa's impactful work, including their study on the industry of migration control in Melilla, Spain (https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2019-05-06/melilla-corrupcion-partido-popular_...