Following welcome remarks by Martine Lagacé (Professor and Associate Vice-President, Research Promotion and Development, Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation) and Kristen Boon (Professor and Susan & Perry Dellelce Dean of the Common Law Section), the program continued with the presentation of the Chair's objectives.
Introducing the Chair: Vision & Mandate
Professor Delphine Nakache (Chairholder) first presented the Chair’s overall vision, emphasizing the need to highlight the contradictions between Canada's international commitments and the evolution of its domestic migration policies. She then explained how the Chair will foster rigorous and accessible research that bridges the gap between principles and practice. Finally, Professor Nakache detailed the Chair's objectives based on four pillars:
- Challenge prevailing migration narratives with particular attention to blind spots in research (under-examined issues).
- Break down research and policy silos through interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Advance evidence-based policy reform rooted in international human-rights standards.
- Engage communities and promote accessible research (ensure that results are disseminated in both of Canada's official languages and communicated clearly).
Meet the Team
The Chair then introduced its core team: Chair Coordinator Mia Dubus; Research Assistant Brianna Brown; and two researchers who each gave brief presentations on their ongoing work:
Christiana Sagay, PhD Candidate, University of Ottawa
Christiana shared her TWAIL and feminist-informed analysis of Bilateral Labour Agreements, tracing their evolution and highlighting gendered impacts on African migrant workers' insights that could potentially inform the Chair’s comparative studies stream.
Jane Ezirigwe, Postdoctoral Researcher
Jane presented her participatory action research project undertaken in collaboration with The Neighbourhood Organization (TNO) and the Newcomer Legal Clinic (Lakehead University) under section 91 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (which deals with counsel and representation), explaining her objective of developing practical guidelines and digital tools to improve migrants' access to justice in Canada.
Panel Discussion
Subsequently, a panel composed of James Milner (Carleton University), François Crépeau (McGill University), and Idil Atak (Toronto Metropolitan University) convened to discuss “Canada’s Migration Diplomacy: From Global Norms to Domestic Practice.” Panelists:
- Mapped Canada’s role as a “norm entrepreneur” in shaping international migration frameworks.
- Examined the selective adoption of global commitments in Canada’s federal and provincial policies.
- Debated policy gaps in asylum, temporary-work schemes, and labour-mobility corridors.
- Proposed evidence-based reforms to align Canada’s domestic measures with its human-rights obligations.
A lively Q&A followed, and the morning concluded with an in-person networking lunch, capping off a program of reflection, dialogue, and the official launch of a Chair ready to influence Canada’s future migration policy!
To become involved with the Chair and its future projects, please fill out this form: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/121pP5KQvp
If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please feel free to reach out to the team at [email protected]