Understanding political agency: Migrant perspectives from Africa
Migration Policy Centre Seminar
When
20 January 2026
12:00 - 13:00 CET
Where
Sala Triaria, Villa Schifanoia and online
Via Boccaccio, 121 Firenze and Zoom
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.
Scientific Organiser
Andrew Geddes
Migration Policy Centre, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, EUI
Martin Ruhs
European University Institute
Contact
Migration Policy Centre
Send an emailSpeaker
Franzisca Zanker
Arnold Bergstraesser Institute
Chair
Amanda Bisong
European University Institute
