International migration specialist with over 25 years of experience as a practitioner, program manager, senior official, analyst, researcher and more recently in academia at the Australian National University (PhD in Demography; migration). Currently, Head, Migration Research Division, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Geneva. Chief Editor, World Migration Report. Senior Fellow, Global Migration Centre, Graduate Institute, Geneva. Member of MIT's Global Technology Review Panel and Associate Editor of the Harvard Data Science Review. Elected Member, Academic Council of the United Nations System. Published widely in academic and policy literature on migration, gender, AI, data and irregular migration. Key publications include: World Migration Reports 2018, 2020 & 2022 editions (2024 edition out 1st quarter 2024), book on gender, migration and covid (published by Edward Elgar Publishing, January 2024), migration and digital technology (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2021) irregular migration (ANU Press, 2017) and many articles/blogs on AI, displacement, gender, irregular migration and migrant smuggling for the Forum and other journals/outlets. 2012-15, Director, Irregular Migration Research Program, Australian Department of Immigration. Previous postings in Moscow, Seoul, Ankara; currently based in Geneva.
The world is in danger of entering a 'post-human rights' era. When it comes to migration, that has serious implications. But there is still time to act.
Many countries lack critical ICT infrastructure for AI in migration, while migrants may face blocks accessing digital channels, increasing digital divides.
Migration is seen through a too narrow and politicized lens, providing a distorted picture of the data, but it's the regional trends that are important.
The international community must work together to counter the economic, political and security implications created by this humanitarian disaster.
