Institute for Research into Superdiversity

When immigration control becomes Higher Education policy, Nando Sigona on the latest Home Office rules for universities and what they mean for students
https://nandosigona.info/2026/06/05/when-immigration-control-becomes-higher-education-policy/

When Immigration Control Becomes Higher Education Policy New Home Office rules measure universities through immigration compliance metrics while ignoring how surveillance and immigration control shape international students’ lives and chances of su…

New article based on data on immigration enforcement operations in Birmingham between 2023 and 2025.
The data reveal a sharp increase in raids following the change of government in July 2024, but also limited enforcement outcomes: around half of visits resulted in no arrests, and only a small proportion led to removals.
But the impact of the raids must be understood beyond the numbers: for the authorities it reinforces the 'tough on migration' narrative, for migrant communities, local businesses, and workers in sectors such as food delivery, where immigration hashtag increasingly intersects with digital surveillance and platform work they mean worse working conditions and less protection from abuses, as the findings from the I-CLAIM research show.
“The Home Office is everyone” became a recurring phrase in our fieldwork, capturing how border enforcement now extends deep into everyday life.

“The Home Office is everyone”: Immigration Raids in Birmingham under Labour - I-CLAIM PRESS & MEDIA “The Home Office is everyone”: Immigration Raids in Birmingham under Labour FOI data reveal rising raids, limited outcomes and growing impacts on migrant communities by Nando Sigona Freedom of Information data on immigration enforcement operations in Birmingham between April 2023 a...

Thank you very much to colleagues at Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi for hosting Nando Sigona and Angelo Martins Jr for an insightful visit to the exhibitions “Diversidades Amazônicas” and “Brasil: Terra Indígena” during their research visit to Belem as part of the Connect Amazonia initiative:

Museu Goeldi apresenta exposições “Diversidades Amazônicas” e “Brasil: Terra Indígena” para representantes da Universidade de Birmingham Professores do Reino Unido conheceram as mostras com objetivo de fortalecer parceria, que visa promover intercâmbios multidisciplinares sobre as questões climáticas e o futuro da Amazônia. Também parceira, a Uepa acompanhou as atividades no Parque Zoobotânico.

New episode of Conversations with Iris is out! Nando Sigona speaks with Nandita Sharma about the figure of the migrant.

IRiS - Institute for Research into Superdiversity 1 like. "Boundaries of membership and the figure of the migrant: Conversation with Nandita Sharma"