Embracing a multi-level, comparative North-South perspective, this module sets out to uncover the impact of various crises on the perception and governance of migration, following a subjectivist, constructivist and longitudinal approach. It studies the motives and frames generating a sense of crisis over international migration and identifies the effects of such narratives on migration governance.

The projects in this module address the interplay of crisis narratives and political action at the micro-level of public attitudes (individuals); the meso-level of news reporting and political parties; and the macro-level of political institutions in regions, states and international organizations (IO). For uncovering neglected migration contexts and concurring narratives, the projects examine governance settings in both (mainly) countries of origin and (mainly) countries of destination of migrants that have hitherto received little attention.

Contacts

Jean-Thomas Arrighi, Main Representative and Representative in the Scientific Committee
Sandra Lavenex, Representative in the Education and Equal Opportunities Committee
Matteo Gianni, Representative in the Knowledge Transfer and Communication Committee
Sara de Athouguia Filipe, Module Coordinator

Projects

Sandra Lavenex (University of Geneva) and Vincent Chetail (Geneva Graduate Institute)
The Impact of Crises on the Global Governance of Migration: Boost or Blow

Gianni D’Amato (University of Neuchâtel), Matteo Gianni (University of Geneva) and Didier Ruedin (University of Neuchâtel)
Narratives of Crisis and Their Influence in Shaping Discourses and Policies of Migration and Mobility

Olivier Crevoisier (University of Neuchâtel), Jean-Thomas Arrighi de Casanova (University of Neuchâtel) and Sean Mueller (University of Lausanne)
A European Desert? The Territorial Economics and Politics of Emigration in Crisis Regions

The post Module I first appeared on nccr – on the move.

Distinguishing between periods of endogenous crisis, exogenous crisis, and no crisis, we investigate how institutional and legal regimes, country composition, and the type of migration shape crisis narratives, under what conditions crisis narratives have been catalytic for cooperative solutions, and how these solutions affect structures of authority, policy substance, and legal norms. We place particular emphasis on how crisis-induced policy and legal changes affect the continuum between short-term mobility and long-term migration and privileges (‘hierarchizes’) particular forms of human movement over others, and how these choices evolve over time.

Scientific Poster 2026 (PDF)

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We use a mix of methods and work across disciplines to identify prevalent narratives of migration and mobility in countries with different migration regimes and observe how they evolve especially during economic, political, and public health crises. Moreover, the project will examine how narratives on migration and mobility, that have shifted, affect attitudes and social behavior (discrimination), political policies, and migration intentions, and what the implications of such narratives and narrative shifts are on democratic legitimacy, justice, and citizenship.

To do so, we develop a longitudinal cross-national dataset of narratives on migration and mobility in the media, carry out experiments in countries of origin and destination, use data from the NCCR Migration-Mobility Survey, and carry out historical studies to analyze the arguments of economic and public interest groups to develop a normative political theory.

Scientific Poster 2026 (PDF)

The post Narratives of Crisis and Their Influence in Shaping Discourses and Policies of Migration and Mobility first appeared on nccr – on the move.

Economic crises exacerbate this trend, unleashing a vicious circle of demographic decline, economic downturn, and political contestation across vast stretches of the continent. Yet, with a few exceptions in the fields of demography and geography, the uneven spatial distribution of migration and mobility flows has fallen outside the academic radar. Zooming in on six ‘deserts’ in three European states in the wake of the post- Oil Shock (1973-83) and Global Financial Crisis (2008-18), our project explores the policy responses to and political consequences of protracted emigration in crisis regions.

At the crossroads of comparative politics, political economy, and contemporary history, we shed light on the complex interactions between population movements, territorial inequalities, center-periphery relations, as well as multilevel policy-making.

Scientific Poster 2026 (PDF)

The post A European Desert? The Territorial Economics and Politics of Emigration in Crisis Regions first appeared on nccr – on the move.

This module sheds light on socio-economic inequalities in times of crisis using a unifying empirical approach and leveraging a variety of data sources, such as linked registers, survey experiments, and high-frequency process data. Using crisis as a category of analysis, the projects in this module pay particular attention to crises as objectifiable events such as the COVID-19 crisis, the 2007/8 Financial Crisis, the environmental crisis or humanitarian migration due to political crises, including warfare.

Beyond this, the projects are also interested in the political implications of such crisis events, and whether they can exacerbate system-endemic crises, such as the erosion of liberal democracy. This module thus explores how these crises deepen existing inequalities and discrimination, how they shape intergroup relations, and how these relations, in turn, affect support for democracy, and how the associated processes interact with ethnicity, gender, and migration status.

Contacts

Michael Siegenthaler, Main Representative and Representative in the Scientific Committee
Eva Green, Representative in the Education and Equal Opportunities Committee
Philippe Wanner, Representative in the Knowledge Transfer and Communication Committee
Kristina Schüpbach, Module Coordinators

Projects

Tobias Müller (University of Geneva), Martina Viarengo (Geneva Graduate Institute) and Philippe Wanner (University of Geneva)
The Longitudinal Impact of Crises on Economic, Social, and Mobility-Related Outcomes: The Role of Gender, Skills, and Migration Status

Eva G. T. Green (University of Lausanne), Anita Manatschal (University of Neuchâtel) and Juan M. Falomir-Pichastor (University of Geneva)
Attitudes Towards Migration and Democracy in Times of Intertwined Crises

Dominik Hangartner (ETH Zurich) and Michael Siegenthaler (ETH Zurich)
Monitoring Ethnic and Immigrant Discrimination in Hiring Decisions in Times of Crisis
 

The post Module II first appeared on nccr – on the move.