The right to immigrate
Every 18 December, the United Nations celebrate International Migrants Day to recognise the efforts, contributions, and rights of migrants worldwide. A perfect moment to speak with Arjen Leerkes, who was appointed Professor of ‘Migration, Securitisation and Social Cohesion' at Maastricht University and UNU-MERIT last month, about the position of immigrants in our societies. Where can asylum seekers go when they are trying to flee their country? Should they stay in the same region, or can they go elsewhere? “In surveys, people who feel that asylum seekers should stay in their region of origin are likely to have a more nationalist view on migration issues,” says Arjen Leerkes. “However, people who see themselves as members of a world society will tend to approach the idea of country borders from a more global point of view and take more into consideration the perspectives of people in other countries.” Leerkes’ research work on migration has s