Migration is more than just a matter of numbers; it reflects the socio-economic shifts shaping our world. Globally, between 2000 and 2020, the number of migrants rose from 175 to 281 million, with one in ten migrants under the age of 15. Migration often begins with aspirations for dignity, security, and peace. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez emphasized that migration is not only a humanitarian issue but also essential for economic prosperity and welfare sustainability. On International Migrants’ Day, Verena Wisthaler, Head of the Center for Migration and Diversity, and International Relations Analyst Leiza Brumat shared their insights on honoring migrant contributions and the shifting landscape of migration research.

As a Center, how do you to recognize migrants’ contributions in economic, cultural, and social fields?

Verena Wisthaler: At our Center, we amplify migrant voices by integrating their perspectives into our research. We examine both the countries of origin and destination to understand the impacts migration has on the institutions and societies there. Public debate is crucial; we use research to counter stereotypes and show how migrants contribute to our economies, to societal change and the development of entire cultures.

Leiza Brumat: To view migrants as active agents, we must engage in global debates and adopt a holistic approach to migration. This means examining it not only from anthropological or social perspectives but also through cultural, economic, and political lenses. Using interdisciplinary methods and participating in global academic and policy discussions, such as those surrounding the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, helps us recognize migrants’ roles in reducing inequalities and fostering development. For instance, in Argentina, immigrant associations contributed to drafting one of the world’s most progressive and liberal migration laws. At our Center, we emphasize that migrants are catalysts for political and social change.

One from South Tyrol and one from Argentina, how do your backgrounds bridge perspectives?

LB: I engage at the global macro-regional level, examining regions like Europe, Africa, and South America as cohesive entities. Coming from South America, I bring a South American perspective that broadens the geographical focus, incorporating not only empirical insights but also academic literature. This literature increasingly views migrants as agents of development– a significant issue in South America, where there is a strong emphasis on human rights. Many South American countries have been pioneers in migration, refugee, and asylum rights, setting important precedents. While contradictions exist in the practical implementation of migrants’ rights, institutions like the UN showcase migrants advocating for progressive and unique positions. Historically, Latin America has been a region of emigration to the United States. However, in recent years, South America has seen a resurgence of intra-regional mobility, which was always significant in the past. Today, there is a growing focus on South–South migration, highlighting the dynamics of movement between Southern countries, which has become increasingly relevant in migration studies. In South America, the movement of people between neighboring Southern nations now surpasses migration flows from the South to the North.

VW: I instead focus more on smaller units, on regions, cities and small municipalities in Europe, and also here in our region, in South Tyrol. Diverse perspectives enrich our Center. In both Latin America and Europe, cities are pivotal in integrating migrants, offering spaces where daily interactions shape societies. Comparing intra-regional mobility in Latin America with intra-European mobility highlights shared challenges and opportunities.

How do you mark the International Migrants Day and what is the significance of such days to you?

LB: I think these days are useful for bringing to light the existence of the inherent diversity within each society and highlight migration as a fact of human life. People moved around the world before borders existed, so the existence of international migration is itself a consequence of the existence of borders.

VW: We need to remove this “special” status that is associated with migration. It’s a normal, enduring aspect of human life. The focus should be on valorizing migrants as integral part of our society year-round and not just for a day.

 How has the landscape shifted in migrant research since you both entered the field?

VW: Migration research has diversified enormously in terms of disciplines and methodology. It has also become more innovative, incorporating fields that, a decade ago, seemed unrelated, such as health, design, and art. Nowadays visual methods are used increasingly, and the intersection of arts and migration is gaining in prominence. This approach is not only used to present findings and make results more accessible but also to explore issues like migration and discrimination. Thirty years ago, migration research was largely confined to specific macro-regions. Today, there is much greater global collaboration among researchers. Another notable shift is the growing importance of migrant communities and researchers with migrant backgrounds, whose perspectives now play a central role in shaping the field.

LB: Migration is much more visible than before, which has shifted dynamics in academia and global governance. Agencies like UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization Migration wield greater influence through funding because of this visibility of migration. We also see that the vocabulary from a global governance perspective has changed. At first it was very simple:  immigration, asylum, refugees. Now more nuanced concepts are being used in global fora, policymakers and politicians talk about a whole-of-society and a whole-of government approach to migration governance, and to increasing access to rights regardless of legal status.

Migrants, immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, displaced persons – can you discuss the language and associated perceptions?

LB: The distinctions between terms such as immigrant, migrant, and refugee, especially between migrant and refugee, are not just technical but hold significant political importance. Since migration has become much more complex, these classifications reflect the nuances of migration and are shaped by both academic frameworks and political agendas. Those in power often use these terms strategically, classifying individuals in ways that serve their interests at particular moments, borders, or contexts. Consider the distinction between migrants and mobile people. Technically, international conventions define a migrant as someone who crosses a border for more than a year. But does this mean, for example, that a German person living in Italy is a migrant? No, they are classified as an internal EU mover. The term “migrant” itself often carries a pejorative connotation, especially in the media, where it is frequently associated with poverty and individuals from poorer countries. However, from a technical, policy, or academic perspective, this is not the case. These terms are heavily politicized, reflecting the loaded nature of the language surrounding migration.

VW: Nevertheless, terminological precision is important in some moments – it’s the perception that we need to challenge and not just the language. Having said that, how we label people influences societal attitudes.

LB We need not to see migration as a problem, which is how it’s usually labeled.  I challenge my students to reconsider this by asking them: “If you’re from another country, are you a problem?” Migration embodies humanity’s essence; it’s not an issue to be solved.

VW: And society must accept it as the normality.

About the Interviewed

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Verena Wisthaler is the Head of the Center for Migration and Diversity at Eurac Research in Bozen/Bolzano, Italy, and external lecturer at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. Her research focusses on the politics of migration and integration, often at the regional and local level. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Leicester (2016) which has been awarded the 2017 European Consortium for Political Research Jean Blondel PhD Prize. She was visiting researcher at the European University Institute in Florence, the University of Corte (FR) and the University of Edinburgh (UK), and a post-doc researcher at the University of Neuchâtel (CH), at the Swiss Forum of Population and Migration Studies. She has published in JEMS, Regional Studies, Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis, Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism, Politika.

About the Interviewed

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Leiza Brumat is a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Migration and Diversity and an Associate Research Fellow at the United Nations University- Institute for Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS). She is an International Relations analyst who obtained her PhD in Flacso –Argentina. She previously worked as Research Fellow at the Migration Policy Centre (MPC) of the European University Institute, as lecturer in International Relations and Regional Integration in her hometown Buenos Aires, as well as a Research Fellow for the National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) of Argentina. She is the coauthor of Migration and Mobility in the EU (2nd edition, Palgrave, 2020, with Andrew Geddes and Leila Hadj Abdou). She was also the senior consultant responsible for developing and Regional Vision and updating the Regional Plan for Migration Governance for all South America (2024-2034). Her research focuses on regional and global migration governance.