Critical analysis reveals the dual functions of statistical data in migration governance, highlighting how political calculations drive migrant categorization and policy.
As a migration scholar, the quest for data has become an important feature of my daily practice to understand migration dynamics and how categories of migrants are constructed as well as who benefits the most by sharing or hiding/obscuring certain numbers. Knowing the actors and processes that have produced certain migration data is key to objectifying the data. In contexts where migrants are accused of being criminals or partaking in criminal activities and political calculations are the priority, migration data becomes a tool that serves different functions and interests within migration governance. This piece explores the complexities of data in migration governance – examining its varied functions and the double-edged dilemmas it creates.
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Sana Gasmi (2026) studied this question.
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