Borders and Migration Governance with Professor Vicki Squire

Professor Vicki Squire, a Professor of International Politics at the University of Warwick, has focused her research on the intersection of migration governance, border studies, and the humanitarian consequences of displacement. In an episode of the Thinking Global Podcast released on May 4, 2026, Squire discussed the dynamics of borders and the ethical responsibilities of scholars in documenting the lived experiences of those navigating precarious migration.

Squire’s work examines the policies and practices used to govern migration and the resulting impact on human dignity. Her research spans multiple global contexts, including the Mediterranean, the Balkans, Northern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and the US-Mexico border region.

The Normalization of Death and Border Governance

A central component of Squire’s analysis is the concept of the normalization of death within migration governance. In her book, Europe's Migration Crisis: Border Deaths and Human Dignity, published by Cambridge University Press in 2020, she analyzes how death and vulnerability were produced in Europe during the migration crisis of 2015-2016.

Squire explores the narratives and practices that constituted the situation in the Mediterranean as a crisis, investigating how European Union practices of governing migration contributed to the loss of life at the borders.

Global Citizenship and Precarious Migration

Beyond the study of border deaths, Squire examines the legal and social structures of citizenship. Her book Making and Unmaking Global Citizenship: Lived Experiences of Precarious Migration, published by Edinburgh University Press, explores the lived experiences of individuals facing precarious migration status.

Through this work, Squire investigates how global citizenship is constructed and dismantled, and the role of solidarity activism in challenging the politics of migration governance.

Data and Humanitarianism in Displacement

Squire is currently leading research into the role of technology and data in humanitarian settings. From 2025 to 2027, she is conducting a project funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) titled Data Literacies in Displacement and Humanitarian Settings (DLiD+).

This project builds upon previous work from the collaborative Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-funded Data and Displacement project. That earlier research addressed the impact of data-driven humanitarianism, specifically focusing on the perspectives of internally displaced persons in South Sudan and north-eastern Nigeria.

Academic Responsibility and Activism

In the May 4, 2026, podcast interview hosted by Marianna Karakoulaki, Squire discussed the ethical obligations of scholars when engaging with migration and displacement. Her discourse emphasizes the link between academic research and activism, highlighting the necessity of centering the voices of those affected by border policies.

At the University of Warwick, Squire serves as the Deputy Head of Department and Director of Research, and she is the co-convenor of the Warwick Borders, Race, Ethnicity and Migration (BREM) network. She also collaborates on a digital archive of testimonies regarding resettlement, displacement, and migration alongside Suzan Ilcan and Dr. Yasmine Shamma of the University of Reading.