Mobilities, Health & Wellbeing

Globally, migration and health research has gained traction not only because of heightened recognition of the ways in which migration determines health and wellbeing; but also as a result of increasingly securitised immigration regimes that frame migrants as a security threat and the associated erosion of refugee protection mechanisms. Complicated by xenophobia, racism and nationalism, the ambition of upholding the right to good health for all, regardless of place of birth, is increasingly out of reach. 

Recognising this, our research views health as fundamentally political, expanding the scope beyond healthcare systems to explore the bi-directional relationship between migration and health. Through multi-level and multi-sited research, we investigate how social and structural determinants of health are shaped by both the process and the politicisation of migration. This includes mapping the (dis)connections between global and regional governance ecosystems, national legislative and policy responses, and the lived experiences of diverse migrant groups across Southern Africa and beyond. At the core of our work is a justice-driven research agenda that foregrounds the ethical and methodological challenges of researching migration and health. We collaborate with a wide range of international and local stakeholders,  including civil society networks, and encourage postgraduate students to align their research projects within this thematic area of work. In addition to dissemination of our research, our outreach work includes participation in various governance and policy forums, engagements with civil society organisations and contributions to public discussions and debates relating to migration and health. Team members frequently act as technical advisors to international organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Current projects include two National Institutes of Health and Care Research (NIHR)-funded Global Health Research Groups exploring mental health and violence among migrants in precarious contexts, and the wellbeing of migrant youth, across South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, India and Cambodia. We also host the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA)-The Guild of European Universities Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) in Migration and Health, which collaborates with academic and non-academic partners to investigate links between migration and health along the African Union – European Union migration corridor. Our MoVE:method:visual:explore project fosters critical engagement with arts-based research methods to explore migration and health. In addition, the collaborative Governing Migration and Health in Africa (GMH-Afro) initiative unites partners across the continent to document and analyse governance frameworks, legislation and policy responses to migration and health. Through building an open-access repository, we are supporting policymakers, programme designers, and civil society actors in advancing migration and health governance across Africa.