The post Announcement: Recipient of the 2025 Anthony Richmond Scholarship appeared first on Centre for Refugee Studies.

Migration is about more than movement—it’s about memory, loss, resilience, and belonging. This workshop series equips researchers, students, and advocates with creative, participatory tools to study and represent migration in more ethical and transformative ways. Across six sessions, participants will learn hands-on methods including photovoice, participatory video, body mapping, poetry, music, digital ethnography, and social cartography. Each workshop combines practical tutorials with critical discussion on how these methods can challenge dominant narratives, surface hidden geographies, and amplify migrant voices. Led by an international lineup of leading scholars, artists, and practitioners, the series explores real-world case studies—from bodymapping fisherfolk displaced by seawalls in the Philippines to Kurdish women documenting musical traditions in Germany. Whether you are a migration scholar, an artist, an activist, or a student, this series will give you new tools to make your research more visual, collaborative, and impactful.

Organizers: The workshop series was organized by Dr. Yvonne Su, Abril RĂ­os-Rivera, Carolina Rota and Tegan Hadisi.

Dates: Every Tuesday May 6th to June 17th (with the exception of June 3rd)

Time: 3:30pm BST / 10:30am EST

Location: ODID Seminar Room 1, 3 Mansfield Road, University of Oxford
Hybrid: Hosted by the Centre for Refugee Studies, please register: 

Registration: Registration is required for online participation and preferred for in-person.

May 6th, 2025 - Introduction to Arts-based Methods and Photovoice Tutorial 
Speakers: Dr. Yvonne Su, Abril RĂ­os-Rivera, and Tyler Valiquette
Moderator: Tegan Hadisi

May 13th, 2025 - Filmmaking, Participatory Video and Videovoice
Speakers: Dr. Amanda Alencar, Dr. Zhixi Zhuang and Dr. Yvonne Su
Moderator: Tyler Valiquette

May 20th, 2025 - Music and Poetry as Arts-Based Methods for Migration Research
Speakers: Dr. Helidah Ogude-Chambert, Dr. Cayenna Ponchione-Bailey, Rose Campion
Moderator: Abril RĂ­os-Rivera and Dr. Yvonne Su

May 27th, 2025 - Embodying Migration: How to do Body Mapping
Speakers: Dr. Maaret Jokela-Pansini and Dr. Yvonne Su
Moderator: Tegan Hadisi

June 10th, 2025 - Migrant Lives Online: Practicing Digital Research Methods
Speakers: TBD
Moderator: TBD

June 17th, 2025 - Drawing the City: Social Cartographies of Lives on the Move
Speakers: Dr. Valentina Montoya Robledo, Dr. Melissa Moralli, Carolina Rota
Moderator: Vasiliki Poula

The post Workshop Series: Making Migration Methodologies - A Hands-On Exploration of Mobility Through Creative Tools appeared first on Centre for Refugee Studies.

It is a great privilege to serve as the new Director of the Centre for Refugee Studies. My personal and professional journey has instilled in me a deep commitment to advancing the rights and dignity of refugees and migrants.

As an immigrant child transported from a rural village outside Guangzhou, China, to a rural town in Holland Landing, Ontario, I am well aware of how public policies and media perceptions impact how migrants and refugees are treated in real life. Growing up as the only Chinese family in town that operates the local Chinese restaurant, I was told many times that while my family were the “right type” of immigrants that Canada should be taking in, other immigrants and refugees were stealing jobs and taking away resources that should be reserved for Canadians. It saddens me that these polarized narratives continue dominating our media and policy landscape three decades later.

In the UK, we saw disinformation and misinformation rally rioters to enact violence and hatred towards innocent people of colour, assumed to be refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. As I shared on , the most frightening part was when one of the rioters on trial was asked why he did it; he said “Because everyone else was doing it.” We cannot allow for run-away anti-refugee and anti-immigrant hate to happen in Canada or anywhere else in the world.

As someone who has experienced the complexities and consequences of forced migration firsthand, I am honoured to lead an institution that is at the forefront of challenging inequality and advocating for justice in the face of record-high global displacement.

At CRS, we are not just about understanding the structural causes of forced migration—be it conflict, climate change, or socio-economic inequality. We are about actively addressing them. Our research, advocacy, and collaborations with communities worldwide are all rooted in a fundamental commitment to uphold human rights and ensure the agency of displaced populations.

With a focus on transformative research and impactful policy, I aim to build on the Centre's strong legacy, while bringing fresh perspectives that emphasize the agency and resilience of migrants and refugees. Together with our global partners, we are committed to fostering an inclusive space where innovative ideas lead to tangible change and the voices of those affected are central to the conversation.

I invite you to explore our work and join us in advocating for a world where the rights and contributions of refugees and migrants are recognized and upheld. Also, don’t be shy, say hi at our centre and attend our events!

Director, Centre for Refugee Studies 

żě˛ĄĘÓƵ 

The post Message from incoming CRS Director Yvonne Su appeared first on Centre for Refugee Studies.

Michael Creal Obituary

Surrounded by family and love, Reverend K.H. Michael Creal C.M. died with the same dignity and grace that characterized his life well lived. Born on a kitchen table in Grenfell, Saskatchewan on October 4, 1927, he passed peacefully in Toronto on August 23, 2024 at Kensington Hospice. Leaving cherished wife Lee, former wife Dottie (predeceased), parents Rev. Howard Creal and Colina (predeceased), cherished brother of Murray (Jane) and Margaret (Fritz), both predeceased. He is survived by children Marg (Stan), Mari, Liz (Tony), stepsons Chris (predeceased, (Carrie)), Paul and niece Cathy (George); grandchildren Alex (Eric), Emma (Allen), Lucas (Tessa), Reid, Lauren (Tasha), great-grandchildren Molly, Olivia, Adelaide Michaela and Mae, nieces and nephews Stephen (Elizabeth), Catriona (Murph), Paul (Jean), Alix (Denis), Dick (Nancy) and their families.

Ordained a priest of the Anglican Church in Niagara, Michael worked in education with the Anglican Church of Canada and turned to teaching, first at Glendon College and then at żě˛ĄĘÓƵ in the 1960’s. He fulfilled senior administrative roles including Chair of the Division of Humanities, Master of Vanier College (1974-82), was awarded Professor Emeritus and was a long-time member of the York faculty Oldtimers hockey team, retiring in his 80’s. Michael was involved in the founding of York’s internationally renowned Centre for Refugee Studies. Teaching and sports were great passions along with his advocacy for the marginalized in our community. Always an optimist, he was a die-hard Leafs fan.

A steadfast member of Toronto’s Church of the Holy Trinity, Michael participated in many initiatives to support historically marginalized people, particularly refugees. He was a founder of the Sanctuary Coalition. Michael and Lee were also cofounders of Sanctuary North, a rural site which gives refugees the opportunity to spend time together in a safe setting near Algonquin Park. Michael was invested as a member of the Order of Canada in a private ceremony for his humanitarian work, particularly in the refugee community.

Special thanks to Kensington Hospice health care workers for their respectful and compassionate care of Michael. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Sanctuary North () or to the charity of your choice.

Condolences may be forwarded through .

The post Saying Good-Bye to Michael Creal appeared first on Centre for Refugee Studies.

Geneviève Minville

The Centre for Refugee Studies is pleased to announce that Geneviève Minville has received the 2024 Anthony Richmond Scholarship. This scholarship recognizes promising graduate student research on the intersections of forced migration and environmental changes, such as climate change, flooding, drought, forest fires, and land or sanitary degradation.

Geneviève is a second year PhD student in Critical Human Geography at żě˛ĄĘÓƵ. She holds a Master’s degree in International Development and Globalization from the University of Ottawa and a Bachelor’s in Social Work from UniversitĂ© Laval. Her research interests include the intersection between climate change, disasters, and displacement. Her doctoral research is embedded in her interest in understanding how we can disrupt dualistic discourses of nature and society by uncovering our entanglement with ecologies around us and addressing the systemic and structural root causes of climate and environmental change as well as the consequences that humans (in) actions have on the well-being of humans and more-than-humans.

Specifically, Geneviève’s doctoral research studies the relationship between the environment and forced displacement and questions the environmental politics behind it. From a feminist political ecologist perspective, she intends to explore the discourse on climate migration beyond climate and environmental changes and disasters, emphasizing instead the structures co-creating and amplifying these changes and seeking to understand how the discourse on climate-induced migration can, in fact, often be synonymous with the narrative on development-induced migration. She intends to use sand mining in the Philippines as a starting point of analysis to explore how the mining of sand for development purposes can increase risks of impacts of climate change, including increased risks of landslides and floods in times of typhoons, which can then put people at higher risk of being forcibly displaced, and then being framed under one of the many labels of climate migration.

The post Announcement: Recipient of the 2024 Anthony Richmond Scholarship appeared first on Centre for Refugee Studies.

I can’t believe it’s already my last day as CRS Director. I have had a wonderful experience as Director over the past five years. It was great to learn more about all the amazing research and advocacy about refugees and forced migration that happens at żě˛ĄĘÓƵ, and to play a small part in helping to support that work

The transition to our next Director, Yvonne Su, occurs on July 1. I know that you are already familiar with Yvonne and her work -- she’s a superstar! But here is a brief bio:

Dr. Yvonne Su is a specialist in forced migration, climate change-induced displacement and queer migration. She has worked extensively with vulnerable communities in Southeast Asia and Latin America and the Caribbeans including refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, indigenous communities, and 2SLGBTQIA+ folks. She has 25 peer-reviewed publications in journals like Geoforum, Third World Quarterly, Journal of Gender Studies, and International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction as well as more than 45 opinion pieces, newspaper articles and academic blogs in The Washington Post, The Conversation, and The National Observer.

Su has secured over $5.2 million in research funding and is co-PI on a $3.1 million New Frontiers in Research Fund grant (with Dr. Michaela Hynie as PI) to conduct research on the unintended consequences of climate change adaptation projects from a gender and displacement perspective in the Philippines, Ghana and Bangladesh. She takes an interdisciplinary, participatory and decolonial approach to scholarship that is focused on developing strong partnerships with local communities, NGOs, and policymakers.

CRS will be in great hands, and I’m excited to see where Yvonne helps lead our community.

In the meantime, I wanted to send out a quick thank you to some folks I relied on during my term as Director:

• Michele Millard: I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you so much!
• Faida Abu-Ghazaleh : You’ve done a great job with the Resource Centre. And thanks for all the Turkish Coffee and other treats!
• Michaela Hynie: I don’t know how you manage to do so much. You’re a force of nature! And thanks so much for running CRS during my sabbatical.
• Jennifer Hyndman: You left CRS in great shape at the end of your term as Director. I hope I didn’t mess it up too much! And thanks for all your help in your role as Associate Vice President Research
• Petra Molar: Thanks for all your work with the Refugee Law Lab and with the Summer Course. Onwards!
• Simon Wallace: Not sure how many hundreds of visa letters that you put through in the last few months, but it was a lot! For that, for your other work on the Summer Course, and for your research at the Refugee Law Lab: Thank you!
• Mavis Odei Boateng: Thanks for your help with the Summer Course, this year and last year -- and for all the great pictures!
• Romola Adeola: Thanks for your leadership as the first CRS Assistant Director and for your work on the 2022 Summer Course.
• Anna Purkey: Well, 2020 didn’t exactly go as expected. But thanks for helping us “pivot” on the 2020 Summer Course!
• Dagmar Soennecken: Amazing work with Refuge. You even managed to get my most recent messy article into good shape! Thanks!
• James Simeon: Great job on Congress! And thanks for all the other CRS events you’ve helped with.
• Christopher Kyriakides & Gemechu Abeshu: I’m grateful for your leadership on the Racism(s) and Refugee Subcommittee. Can’t wait to see the work published.
• Nergis Canefe: Thanks for the art that we used to update the images on the 8th floor. It’s so much better!
• CRS Board Members: Thanks for your advice and guidance.
• CRS Exec Members: Thanks for all your work over the years -- and for helping to keep me out of too much trouble!
• CRS Researchers: You’re at the heart of what we do at CRS. I’m so impressed by your work, and I’m excited to see what comes next.
• CRS Visitors: It was great to meet you all. You’re welcome back any time!
• CRS Students: It was a pleasure to learn with you. The future is bright!
• My colleagues at Osgoode Hall Law School: Thanks for giving me the space to focus on CRS over the past five years, and for taking up the slack. I’m looking forward to being around more.

That’s it from me as Director. I’ll be around, so please stay in touch.

And, for those of you in Toronto: Happy Pride!

s

SEAN REHAAG  

Director, Centre for Refugee Studies  

Director, Refugee Law Laboratory  

Associate Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School  

żě˛ĄĘÓƵ, Toronto, Canada  

The post Message from Sean Rehaag, outgoing CRS Director appeared first on Centre for Refugee Studies.

The Reverend Michael Creal, C.M.
Toronto, Ontario

The Reverend Michael Creal has dedicated more than 50 years to being an educator, activist and faith leader. Now professor emeritus, he has been with żě˛ĄĘÓƵ since its early days and played a significant role in establishing its internationally renowned Centre for Refugee Studies. This Anglican priest and steadfast member of Toronto’s Church of the Holy Trinity has participated in many initiatives to support historically marginalized people, particularly refugees.

The post Michael Creal made a member of the Order of Canada appeared first on Centre for Refugee Studies.

, International Journal of Cultural Relations, Volume 101, July 2024, 101995

The post Marriage economics, bargaining and strategic agency: Egyptian-Syrian intermarriage practices in the context of displacement appeared first on Centre for Refugee Studies.

The post Setting the record straight on refugee claims by international students appeared first on Centre for Refugee Studies.

Wenona's important work on refugee access to education can be seen here: 

A very big congratulations from all of us at CRS!

The post Wenona Giles Appointed to Order of Canada appeared first on Centre for Refugee Studies.