The International Organization for Migration and Humanitarian Action
Megan Bradley
Project Description
While the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has been extensively analyzed, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) remains surprisingly understudied although it is now amongst the largest international organizations active in the humanitarian sector. Established in 1951, IOM was not part of the UN system until 2016, but has worked closely with it. IOM has dramatically expanded since the 1990s, with the majority of its growth driven by its increased involvement in humanitarian emergencies in the global South. These activities have significant, complex effects on purported “beneficiaries,” states, and global governance of migration and humanitarianism. IOM’s evolution also sheds light on important questions in international relations on the nature and behavior of international organizations. In this project, Dr. Bradley is drawing on interviews with IOM and member state officials, human rights advocates and humanitarians working with UN agencies and NGOs to inform a book manuscript and a series of articles on IOM’s evolution and influence, focusing in particular on the humanitarian sector and implications for migrants’ rights.