I am Professor of Political Anthropology in the School of Politics and International Relations at Queen Mary University of London. My research explores migration, citizenship, and urban governance, with a particular focus on how welfare systems, digital technologies, and everyday encounters shape the lives of migrants and the politics of belonging.
My work has consistently examined the intersections between migration management and welfare provision, showing how borders are enacted not only at national frontiers but also within cities, institutions, and daily life. I have written extensively on sanctuary cities, the governance of welfare and migration, and the lived experiences of marginalised groups, including Roma and migrant families navigating hostile environments. My books include Making Sanctuary Cities: Migration, Citizenship and Urban Governance (Stanford University Press, 2025) and Home-Land: Romanian Roma, Domestic Space and the State (Bristol University Press/University of Chicago Press, 2019). My articles have appeared in leading journals such as the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Sociology, and Critical Social Policy.
I am currently leading DigiWeB (Digital Welfare Borders: The Effects of Artificial Intelligence in Migrants’ Access to Welfare), a five-year ERC Starting Grant project (2026–2031). This pioneering study investigates how governments are increasingly using Artificial Intelligence to merge welfare systems with migration management. DigiWeB combines data science and social science to examine how welfare-AI systems function, how social workers implement them in practice, and how they impact migrants’ access to services across three countries: the UK, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The project will provide groundbreaking insights into how digital technologies are reshaping welfare states and creating new forms of “digital borders” with significant implications for governance, inequality, and human rights.
In addition to research, I contribute to policy debates and public engagement through roles with international organisations, grassroots networks, and advisory boards. As Co-Director of the Centre for the Study of Migration at QMUL, I am committed to fostering collaboration, supporting early-career scholars, and advancing interdisciplinary research that responds to urgent societal challenges.
Rachel Humphris 