Where Now for Migration Studies? Problems, Purpose and Potential

Abstract The 21st century has witnessed an explosion of academic research on migration. We now have a rich corpus of projects and publications, as well as academic posts, degree programmes, PhDs, conferences, journals, departments and other (often well‐funded) ventures dedicated to migration. In parallel, however, ultra‐nationalism, militarised borders and anti‐immigrant rhetoric have escalated globally. Evidently, the explosion of scholarly interest in migration has done little to slow the spread of migration policing, dehumanisation or scapegoating. This article engages with the burgeoning debate about the ethics of migration studies as it matures and professionalises, asking what moral obligations arise from building careers on such politically violent topics. It argues that the seriousness of the geopolitical moment makes it imperative that we scrutinise the rationale and risks of our research. It invites an honest, hopeful and creative appraisal, drawing on the autobiographical to explore ethical ways forward, as we strategise for better collective futures.