Understanding political agency: Migrant perspectives from Africa

• Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies
• MPC: Migration Policy Centre

Join Franzisca Zanker as she explores and conceptualises political migrant agency, drawing on a new research project that examines political migrant agency in Malawi, Liberia, Kenya, and Ghana.

When we think of migrants, we rarely think of their political role: a common understanding is that political participation is something restricted to citizens only. Nonetheless, despite the increasing anti-migrant sentiment and policies across the globe, refugees and migrants respond, subvert, and resist these in various ways. Migration research has thus far under-conceptualised political migrant agency, especially from a Global South perspective and in interaction with states and non-state actors.

In this seminar, Franzisca Zanker will argue that understanding the political agency of migrants in post-colonial African states matters for policy-makers even beyond the continent. She will also outline ways we can study it in order to gain new insights.