As a political scientist specialized in immigration, public policy and federalism, my research focuses on the subnational dynamics of immigration-related issues.
Current research agenda
The immigration-federalism nexus: Taking the subnational level seriously
In many federal states, subnational governments are increasingly involved in immigration policymaking (i.e. the recruitment, selection, settlement or integration of immigrants), which has resulted in the decentralization of powers and resources, and important policy developments at the subnational scale. My research aims at opening the black box of the vibrant subnational policy variations when it comes to immigration and integration matters. In order to draw both specific and general conclusions, this project is based on a comparative research design analyzing the involvement of 89 subnational units (regions, provinces, states and cantons) in immigration and immigrant integration policymaking in 4 federal states (Belgium, Canada, the United States, and Switzerland). The innovative character of this research is to look more closely at the subnational level, taking into account the diversity and the asymmetry that exist inside each federation (cross-regional analysis) and between different federations (cross-country analysis).
Contributing to public policy, immigration studies and immigration federalism literature, this project will pursue a twofold objective. In a first step (Objective 1), it strives to gather new and systematic data regarding subnational units’ engagement in various aspects of immigration policymaking. To have a more accurate picture of the situation, the information gathered will be operationalized by means of an index (SIPIX). In a second step (Objective 2), this project strives to understand the reasons why some entities have become engaged in this area. To explore the configurations and assess the factors, I will use a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to identify the drivers of subnational activity in immigration federalism.By its originality and its extensiveness, this research will both offer rich new scientific material and provide fruitful insights to understand the immigration-federalism nexus.
I am also currently working on research projects studying Canada: on the one hand, a study of the involvement of Canadian provinces in immigrant integration and, on the other hand, a collection and analysis of original data regarding the politicization of immigration in Quebec (media and party manifestos).
My track record of papers and conferences demonstrate my ability to carry out independent research, while participating in collaborative research projects. Thanks to my dual training in political science and law, I take an interdisciplinary approach and foster dialogues, which is particularly necessary when studying immigration federalism. I have excellent knowledge of French, English and Dutch, and I have published in all three languages. I possess strong pedagogical and communicative skills, which have been improved by the many public presentations that I delivered at key academic conferences as well as at events addressing broader audiences.
The immigration-federalism nexus: Taking the subnational level seriously
In many federal states, subnational governments are increasingly involved in immigration policymaking, which has resulted in powers and resources decentralization, and policy development at the subnational scale. The growing involvement of subnational governments has been studied through the lens of “immigration federalism”. My research aims at opening the black box of the vibrant subnational policy variation when it comes to immigration federalism.
Subnational Immigration Policymaking Involvement Index (SIPIX)
Contributing to immigration federalism literature and immigration studies, I strive to gather and organize original data regarding 89 subnational units’ involvement in different aspects of immigration/immigrant integration policymaking. Using a multidimensional grid, the extensive data gathered will be systematized and operationalized thanks to an index (SIPIX).
Assessing the factors affecting subnational involvement
In a second step, I strive to understand the reasons why some entities have become engaged in this area. To explore the configurations and assess the factors, I will use a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to identify the drivers of subnational activity in immigration federalism.