• indirect effects of internal and international migration / aftereffects of migration (myself)
• (How) are domestic and international migration linked? (Harald Sterly)
• 'Imagined' immigration a la @jorgencarling (Helen Dempster)
• The debate/discourse on "(tackling) the root causes of mixed/ 'irregular migration" - there is still a lack of the necessary scientific complexity (Benjamin Schraven)
• the impact of aid/development projects on irregular migration/migrant decision-making. (Helen Dempster)
• I would add: impact of external. mig policies on governance, esp. with view to local/non-state actors where central state authorities are only one actor out of many. Much left to explore changing power dynamics etc (Anna Schmauder)
• interests in governing #migration (or not) - linked to narratives and political instrumentalisation of (forced) migration as well as role (and influence) of non-state actors (Franzisca Zanker)
• When looking at forced migration, the counter factual of why one would stay seems under examined relative to its place in the policy discourse. (CharlesMartinShields‏)
• Indeed, the #practices, #routes, #rhythms, #infrastructures, and #networks of people living in (forced) #immobility should be looked at, too (Benjamin Etzold)
• local governments provide so many services and the impact is not known. Either positive or negative impact. In addition the role of local governments versus Central government in their response to Migrants ( Devota Nuwe )
• While we have learned a lot about #drivers of and #aspirations for #migration in the last years, the actual #practices, #routes, #infrastructures and #networks of #mobility deserve much more in-depth #research. (Benjamin Etzold)

what else?

Dear Simon,

In my view, there has been extensive research on almost all of the named topics seen as individual issues. The main challenge I see for migration research is threefold, and two of these challenges actually affect the mode of knowledge production rather than substantial lacks of knowledge on any specific topic:

(1) We have little knowledge and understanding of the interplay of these many different issues, of how they are interrelated and through which processes (how are politics of migration and situational identity formation linked, how are border regimes interlocked with educational orders ...);

(2) Facing these interplays would mean that migration researchers engage more in cross-disciplinary and -methodological research; sure, migration research is very multi-disciplinary and very multi-method, but in practice this amounts more to "co-existence" than to actual collaboration across disciplinary and methodological boundaries;

(3) Especially in times of highly politicized migration, we need a better understanding of migration research itself in producing the social reality we then investigate. In other words, migration research itself is an issue that deserves more attention.

This impression is perhaps a bit biased towards what has been going on in European sociology of migration. But I think that over the past years these points have been considered more and more crucial for doing migration in an "age of migration politics".

Hi Simon.

in my recent report of the project Flucht: Forschung und Transfer, I provide many answers to your question in several fields related to refugees' (im)mobilities, e.g.:

- violence-mobilities-nexus

- refugees' journeys, decision-making, experiences of mobility

- migration industries and infrastructures

- policies, patterns and modes of immobilisation

etc.

https://flucht-forschung-transfer.de/neue-publikation-zur-immobilisierung-und-immobilitaet-von-schutzsuchenden/

;-)

Discussion on migration dividend especially in context to international migration is still under researched. The big data analysis can also be utilized in the field of migration research which is not practiced so far for the same.

Migration has become more a political phenomenon compared to its economic and social nature. There is a need to develop a political theory of migration to counter the so called migration crisis. Migration today stands in direct conflict with the nation-state and is likely to shape its existence. Although many countries do recognize migration as a fundamental right for their citizens but not across the borders. One the other hand, citizens of more privileged countries enjoy visa free movement across most of the parts of the world. Opportunity and restrictions on international migration shows huge inequity in the international political and economic order.

On the other hand, within the national borders the protection of cultural identity and the politics of privilege in the name of sons of soil wrecking havoc. Migration researchers have to address these emerging political issues both scientifically and morally. Morally in the sense that the knowledge production has not been a value free exercise.

It is also becoming evident that migration also affects those who are not migrating or the immobile population such as left behind children, women and elderly. Although research in the these areas have been picking up, the findings are not incorporated in development planning.

In addition, migration policy must focus on migrants not the migration. Although migration and migrants are related, however not the same. Migration is an inalienable attribute of human existence and connotes the right to the freedom of movement. Studies shows integration of migrants in the development has many benefits and their protection will help in achieving the SDGs. The slogan of the SDGs is also very apt- leave no one behind! This bestows enormous responsibility on the the future studies on migration and migration researchers.